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"title": "Drag Star Sasha Velour Gets Personal in ‘The Big Reveal’ at Berkeley Rep",
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"content": "\u003cp>Drag artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.sashavelour.com/\">Sasha Velour\u003c/a> knows the power of a good reveal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, she cemented her place as the ninth winner of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> with grace and ingenuity, stunning host RuPaul Charles and a worldwide television audience by secretly stashing a cascade of rose petals under her wig, then allowing them to dramatically flutter down upon her bald head during a lip-sync battle with fellow finalist Shea Couleé.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the seven years since Velour was crowned “America’s Next Drag Superstar,” she’s continued to perform and advocate for drag as both an art form and a life source. A former graphic designer, Velour’s creative output includes a comic book about the Stonewall Uprising (\u003ca href=\"https://houseofvelour.com/products/three-dollar-riot-digital-download?srsltid=AfmBOoqplUalm0XHSqpqWt7D8P0OGgobrPbiX_7h723B3nLCtuVYsAdG\">\u003cem>Three Dollar Riot\u003c/em>\u003c/a>), her monthly Brooklyn drag revue NightGowns and a coffee table tome, 2023’s \u003ca href=\"https://houseofvelour.com/products/the-big-reveal-an-illustrated-manifesto-of-drag-presale?srsltid=AfmBOorauwDVNN8sYtyNV16Jrhp8RVwuRr0ykXYtammB0zNyYFUkOZLp\">\u003cem>The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in Berkeley, raised in the Midwest and based in New York, Velour will return to her birthplace with a new one-woman show, also titled \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22531619748&gbraid=0AAAAABm9-UtL1Yv2hm0pc6Zt1hqLW7hVA&gclid=CjwKCAjw6NrBBhB6EiwAvnT_rjDXIXte1a25n9TdcyziVLxVo98EPPc96unF-FyJkE-rij2RrVO9QxoCV7MQAvD_BwE\">The Big Reveal\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> Set to run at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater from June 4–15, the performance draws inspiration from the extensive research Velour conducted for her book on drag as well as autobiographical elements, including home movie footage. Speaking over Zoom, the show’s star and creator shared that bringing \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> home to Berkeley feels like a milestone in an already exceptional career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/Jbhi_dTD2rs?si=SHqE9RcZCm7ZoRyr\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very full circle to bring this show to Berkeley,” she said. “In fact, it actually begins with the setting of that living room and telling the story about my childhood as a young person who was already curious about drag and gender fluidity and identity, and how I exploded from there into learning about the world and pop culture and all the big reveals of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delving into the reveals that have defined her own journey to date, Velour spoke with KQED about her new show, her Bay Area roots, making the cover of \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em> and the time she hit the road with Heklina.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zack Ruskin: What place does Berkeley hold in your heart these days?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Velour: \u003c/strong>It’s funny to be speaking with KQED because I grew up with a Christmas soundtrack recorded from KQED in the ’80s with all the radio intervals. That was the soundtrack for putting up the Christmas tree in my mainly Jewish family. It was an early association with the fluidity of identity, which is why it feels so special to do this show in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A drag performer with a sharp, exaggerated bob and pop art-style bodysuit.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1020x1529.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1920x2879.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour leans into camp in her Berkeley Rep show ‘The Big Reveal.’ \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does performing in a space like Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater compare with, say, a drag nightclub like Oasis, where I know you’ve appeared several times?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oasis is one of the best stages for drag in the world. When I do these one-person shows, I feel like they’re like all adaptations of the best drag that I first tried out in gay bars. Everything is adapted from some reveal that I had success with on those sacred stages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This show consists of ten different big reveals while also teasing out the different ways you can do a reveal beyond the one that I’m most known for, which is taking my wig off — but I promise there’s a little bit of that in there as well. I think the theme is drag as truth-telling. There’s a RuPaul quote I love: “Drag doesn’t disguise who you are; it reveals who you are.” We’re telling the truth not just about ourselves and our own complex identities and experiences of gender, but about the world and the way it works — the horrible things and the beautiful things — and finding ways to make it intellectual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You are, in every sense of the term, an artist. I love that you’ve kept your passion for comics alive with work like \u003cem>Three Dollar Riot\u003c/em>. What was it like to work on the book version of \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> and then transform that into a stage show?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It felt like a translation process. At first, I had to translate all my drag speeches and numbers into a book, and then I had to translate it all back into performances. As part of that, I wanted to capture some of the artwork and the imagery that I put into \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> book, but I decided to remix it and turn it into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I feel like this show has taken on a life of its own. The biggest themes are camp and pop culture. I thought about the experience of selling a book about drag. It was something so political and so urgent, and I was doing TV appearances defending why drag should not be criminalized and why queer people should be allowed to live our lives openly, while selling this book about my life as well as the history of the art form. It was such a surreal and disturbing yet also empowering experience, and I wanted to try to capture that on stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think “camp” is the ultimate theme of the show, presented as a celebration of survival in times of disaster and oppression and judgment. Overall, I think the process of putting the book together is what inspired the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are you still an avid comic consumer?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Absolutely. That’s my favorite thing to find in any library or bookstore, and I judge bookstores by how good their graphic novel collections are. My collection is still growing. Comic artists and graphic designers will definitely appreciate the color palette of my show, which is built entirely around the CMYK process in various combinations. I learned that it takes a lot to translate color into printed manner when I was working behind the scenes of a publishing house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1920x2400.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour is a visual artist in addition to being a performer. \u003ccite>(Chloe Mary)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Your monthly Brooklyn drag revue NightGowns is set to celebrate its tenth anniversary later this summer. What does it mean to you to be able to have a show like this run for such a long time? At a time when queer rights are seemingly hanging in the balance, does putting NightGowns on feel like a radical act?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes. NightGowns is a part of history now, which is wild to say. It’s rooted in knowing that it’s possible to keep existing through changing political environments. We’ve also been so true to the same mission with that show. It’s centered on the art, led by drag artists and built on a really expansive idea of who can take part in drag. It also features a good blend of politics and escapism, and especially these days, it seems like the audience is more eager than ever to take part in it. So far, we’ve been able to raise over $30,000 per year for direct mutual aid through the art raffle that we do. I think people are eager to use drag as an amazing platform for making a difference in the world, or at least for having some hope of making a difference. I hope NightGowns can keep being that difference for another ten years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How did it feel to be a guest judge on the upcoming debut season of Revry’s \u003cem>King of Drag\u003c/em>, the first reality television competition series devoted to drag kings? [aside postid='arts_13976079']\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was everything. I’m so thrilled that it exists. I wanted to be there just to witness what the kings brought, and I can confirm that it is unlike anything I’ve seen before on a drag competition. I think it’s going to more than prove what we’ve all been saying this whole time, which is that the art of the drag king is just as incredible as every other form of drag and needs to be given the same opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do you have any special memories from the many shows you’ve done here in the Bay Area over the years?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s always been a big deal for me to come perform in the Bay Area, because I still have family who live there. My dad and aunt and uncle will gather and come support me at those shows, so it feels like a family event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think I’ve performed at Oasis at least five times. I was blessed to be booked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/heklina\">Heklina\u003c/a>, who I had so much fun with. The first time she ever brought me out, we did two back-to-back gigs at Oasis, and then she drove me in her car to Sacramento. We stopped at a diner and talked about our families and everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, I also did this mini tour with her and D’Arcy [Drollinger] for their \u003cem>Golden Girls\u003c/em> drag show. I got to play antisemitic author [Barbara Thorndyke] in one \u003cem>Golden Girls\u003c/em> episode and someone who falls in love with Rose in another one. It was like the best acting or theater experience I’ve ever had. Since then, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970352/high-princx-pageant-drag-competition-san-francisco-2024\">Tito Soto\u003c/a> has brought me out for Princess, which is such an incredible show and so in the spirit of everything I love about drag. I feel a great connection with him and his drag family as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour says San Francisco’s Oasis is one of the best drag stages in the nation. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One fascinating element of \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> is your use of childhood home movies. What’s it like to interact with old media of yourself as part of creating a high-concept drag show?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think of my use of childhood video as proof. I first brought it into NightGowns when it was in a bar. That very first year, my dad sent me a digitized clip of me in drag as a kid. I didn’t even remember doing but it speaks to the consistency of who we are as little creatures. We kind of know who we are, but we need the context and the language and the tools to fine tune it and hone it and pursue it. It proves to me how natural queerness is in the world, and that I was born to do drag, or at least that I always thought I was born to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How did it feel to design a self-portrait featured as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2023-06-12\">\u003cem>New Yorker\u003c/em> cover\u003c/a>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a gag. I kept trying to edit the image to make it cleaner and more polished, because I was convinced that the first version, which was really intended as a rough draft, was not up to the standards of \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em>, but [art editor] Francoise [Mouly], who was my boss many years back, told me that the urgency of my rough draft was the magic she was looking for. I still think about that a lot when creating art.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sasha Velour’s ‘The Big Reveal’ takes place at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater June 4–15. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22531619748&gbraid=0AAAAABm9-UtL1Yv2hm0pc6Zt1hqLW7hVA&gclid=CjwKCAjw6NrBBhB6EiwAvnT_rjDXIXte1a25n9TdcyziVLxVo98EPPc96unF-FyJkE-rij2RrVO9QxoCV7MQAvD_BwE\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Drag artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.sashavelour.com/\">Sasha Velour\u003c/a> knows the power of a good reveal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, she cemented her place as the ninth winner of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> with grace and ingenuity, stunning host RuPaul Charles and a worldwide television audience by secretly stashing a cascade of rose petals under her wig, then allowing them to dramatically flutter down upon her bald head during a lip-sync battle with fellow finalist Shea Couleé.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the seven years since Velour was crowned “America’s Next Drag Superstar,” she’s continued to perform and advocate for drag as both an art form and a life source. A former graphic designer, Velour’s creative output includes a comic book about the Stonewall Uprising (\u003ca href=\"https://houseofvelour.com/products/three-dollar-riot-digital-download?srsltid=AfmBOoqplUalm0XHSqpqWt7D8P0OGgobrPbiX_7h723B3nLCtuVYsAdG\">\u003cem>Three Dollar Riot\u003c/em>\u003c/a>), her monthly Brooklyn drag revue NightGowns and a coffee table tome, 2023’s \u003ca href=\"https://houseofvelour.com/products/the-big-reveal-an-illustrated-manifesto-of-drag-presale?srsltid=AfmBOorauwDVNN8sYtyNV16Jrhp8RVwuRr0ykXYtammB0zNyYFUkOZLp\">\u003cem>The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in Berkeley, raised in the Midwest and based in New York, Velour will return to her birthplace with a new one-woman show, also titled \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22531619748&gbraid=0AAAAABm9-UtL1Yv2hm0pc6Zt1hqLW7hVA&gclid=CjwKCAjw6NrBBhB6EiwAvnT_rjDXIXte1a25n9TdcyziVLxVo98EPPc96unF-FyJkE-rij2RrVO9QxoCV7MQAvD_BwE\">The Big Reveal\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> Set to run at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater from June 4–15, the performance draws inspiration from the extensive research Velour conducted for her book on drag as well as autobiographical elements, including home movie footage. Speaking over Zoom, the show’s star and creator shared that bringing \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> home to Berkeley feels like a milestone in an already exceptional career.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Jbhi_dTD2rs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Jbhi_dTD2rs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very full circle to bring this show to Berkeley,” she said. “In fact, it actually begins with the setting of that living room and telling the story about my childhood as a young person who was already curious about drag and gender fluidity and identity, and how I exploded from there into learning about the world and pop culture and all the big reveals of life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delving into the reveals that have defined her own journey to date, Velour spoke with KQED about her new show, her Bay Area roots, making the cover of \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em> and the time she hit the road with Heklina.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Zack Ruskin: What place does Berkeley hold in your heart these days?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sasha Velour: \u003c/strong>It’s funny to be speaking with KQED because I grew up with a Christmas soundtrack recorded from KQED in the ’80s with all the radio intervals. That was the soundtrack for putting up the Christmas tree in my mainly Jewish family. It was an early association with the fluidity of identity, which is why it feels so special to do this show in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A drag performer with a sharp, exaggerated bob and pop art-style bodysuit.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1020x1529.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_3.2_GregEndries-1920x2879.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour leans into camp in her Berkeley Rep show ‘The Big Reveal.’ \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does performing in a space like Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater compare with, say, a drag nightclub like Oasis, where I know you’ve appeared several times?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oasis is one of the best stages for drag in the world. When I do these one-person shows, I feel like they’re like all adaptations of the best drag that I first tried out in gay bars. Everything is adapted from some reveal that I had success with on those sacred stages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This show consists of ten different big reveals while also teasing out the different ways you can do a reveal beyond the one that I’m most known for, which is taking my wig off — but I promise there’s a little bit of that in there as well. I think the theme is drag as truth-telling. There’s a RuPaul quote I love: “Drag doesn’t disguise who you are; it reveals who you are.” We’re telling the truth not just about ourselves and our own complex identities and experiences of gender, but about the world and the way it works — the horrible things and the beautiful things — and finding ways to make it intellectual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You are, in every sense of the term, an artist. I love that you’ve kept your passion for comics alive with work like \u003cem>Three Dollar Riot\u003c/em>. What was it like to work on the book version of \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> and then transform that into a stage show?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It felt like a translation process. At first, I had to translate all my drag speeches and numbers into a book, and then I had to translate it all back into performances. As part of that, I wanted to capture some of the artwork and the imagery that I put into \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> book, but I decided to remix it and turn it into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I feel like this show has taken on a life of its own. The biggest themes are camp and pop culture. I thought about the experience of selling a book about drag. It was something so political and so urgent, and I was doing TV appearances defending why drag should not be criminalized and why queer people should be allowed to live our lives openly, while selling this book about my life as well as the history of the art form. It was such a surreal and disturbing yet also empowering experience, and I wanted to try to capture that on stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think “camp” is the ultimate theme of the show, presented as a celebration of survival in times of disaster and oppression and judgment. Overall, I think the process of putting the book together is what inspired the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are you still an avid comic consumer?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Absolutely. That’s my favorite thing to find in any library or bookstore, and I judge bookstores by how good their graphic novel collections are. My collection is still growing. Comic artists and graphic designers will definitely appreciate the color palette of my show, which is built entirely around the CMYK process in various combinations. I learned that it takes a lot to translate color into printed manner when I was working behind the scenes of a publishing house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_7.2_ChloeMary-1920x2400.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour is a visual artist in addition to being a performer. \u003ccite>(Chloe Mary)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Your monthly Brooklyn drag revue NightGowns is set to celebrate its tenth anniversary later this summer. What does it mean to you to be able to have a show like this run for such a long time? At a time when queer rights are seemingly hanging in the balance, does putting NightGowns on feel like a radical act?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes. NightGowns is a part of history now, which is wild to say. It’s rooted in knowing that it’s possible to keep existing through changing political environments. We’ve also been so true to the same mission with that show. It’s centered on the art, led by drag artists and built on a really expansive idea of who can take part in drag. It also features a good blend of politics and escapism, and especially these days, it seems like the audience is more eager than ever to take part in it. So far, we’ve been able to raise over $30,000 per year for direct mutual aid through the art raffle that we do. I think people are eager to use drag as an amazing platform for making a difference in the world, or at least for having some hope of making a difference. I hope NightGowns can keep being that difference for another ten years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How did it feel to be a guest judge on the upcoming debut season of Revry’s \u003cem>King of Drag\u003c/em>, the first reality television competition series devoted to drag kings? \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was everything. I’m so thrilled that it exists. I wanted to be there just to witness what the kings brought, and I can confirm that it is unlike anything I’ve seen before on a drag competition. I think it’s going to more than prove what we’ve all been saying this whole time, which is that the art of the drag king is just as incredible as every other form of drag and needs to be given the same opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do you have any special memories from the many shows you’ve done here in the Bay Area over the years?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s always been a big deal for me to come perform in the Bay Area, because I still have family who live there. My dad and aunt and uncle will gather and come support me at those shows, so it feels like a family event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think I’ve performed at Oasis at least five times. I was blessed to be booked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/heklina\">Heklina\u003c/a>, who I had so much fun with. The first time she ever brought me out, we did two back-to-back gigs at Oasis, and then she drove me in her car to Sacramento. We stopped at a diner and talked about our families and everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, I also did this mini tour with her and D’Arcy [Drollinger] for their \u003cem>Golden Girls\u003c/em> drag show. I got to play antisemitic author [Barbara Thorndyke] in one \u003cem>Golden Girls\u003c/em> episode and someone who falls in love with Rose in another one. It was like the best acting or theater experience I’ve ever had. Since then, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970352/high-princx-pageant-drag-competition-san-francisco-2024\">Tito Soto\u003c/a> has brought me out for Princess, which is such an incredible show and so in the spirit of everything I love about drag. I feel a great connection with him and his drag family as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_4.2_GregEndries-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour says San Francisco’s Oasis is one of the best drag stages in the nation. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One fascinating element of \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> is your use of childhood home movies. What’s it like to interact with old media of yourself as part of creating a high-concept drag show?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think of my use of childhood video as proof. I first brought it into NightGowns when it was in a bar. That very first year, my dad sent me a digitized clip of me in drag as a kid. I didn’t even remember doing but it speaks to the consistency of who we are as little creatures. We kind of know who we are, but we need the context and the language and the tools to fine tune it and hone it and pursue it. It proves to me how natural queerness is in the world, and that I was born to do drag, or at least that I always thought I was born to do it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How did it feel to design a self-portrait featured as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2023-06-12\">\u003cem>New Yorker\u003c/em> cover\u003c/a>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a gag. I kept trying to edit the image to make it cleaner and more polished, because I was convinced that the first version, which was really intended as a rough draft, was not up to the standards of \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em>, but [art editor] Francoise [Mouly], who was my boss many years back, told me that the urgency of my rough draft was the magic she was looking for. I still think about that a lot when creating art.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sasha Velour’s ‘The Big Reveal’ takes place at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theater June 4–15. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22531619748&gbraid=0AAAAABm9-UtL1Yv2hm0pc6Zt1hqLW7hVA&gclid=CjwKCAjw6NrBBhB6EiwAvnT_rjDXIXte1a25n9TdcyziVLxVo98EPPc96unF-FyJkE-rij2RrVO9QxoCV7MQAvD_BwE\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-plays-musicals-summer-bay-area",
"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer",
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"headTitle": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In case you’ve avoided the news cycle, the performing arts are in an unprecedented funding crisis. The U.S. government is slowly dismantling the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions of dollars in already-awarded grants\u003c/a> across the country — including several nonprofits on this very summer theater preview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the support of your favorite organizations is more crucial than ever. What better way to support than to simply \u003cem>show up\u003c/em>? Get thee to a cabaret, a salon, or a summer musical. Buy a ticket, buy a drink, make the scene and make a difference. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 12 ways to avail yourself of theater’s transformative potential all summer long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976131\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) The ‘Co-Founders’ creative team of Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela, and RyanNicole Austin. \u003ccite>(Michaela Schulz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/co-founders/\">Co-Founders\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>May 29–July 6, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area-borne, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rhymecombinator.com/\">Rhyme Combinator\u003c/a>-conceived hip-hop musical \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em> has its world premiere at last. Taking audience immersion to the next level, this “tech-savvy” production promises next-level design elements, powerhouse local performers, and an of-the-moment tale of a Black woman’s attempt to break into the upper echelons of Silicon Valley without losing her soul (and her home). This show’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">a long time in the making\u003c/a>, and it’s ready to make some noise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-768x488.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1536x977.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1920x1221.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour in ‘The Big Reveal Live Show,’ running at Berkeley Rep June 4–15. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/\">Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 4–15, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incomparable Sasha Velour, drag queen of 1,000 rose petals and winner of Season 9 of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em>, comes back to her former hometown at Berkeley Rep with a revival of \u003cem>The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/em>. A showcase for Velour’s big ideas and even bigger drag, \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> offers a fabulous window into the creative landscape of one of drag’s most innovative performers. Sumptuous, playful, and profound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"661\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1536x508.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1920x635.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Jeremy Julian Greco, Tony Cyprien and Scott Cohen. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sunset Solos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sunsetsolos.com/\">Sunset Solos\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ongoing; third Sunday of each month\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Sealevel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since January 2024, a monthly solo performance showcase has been underway at Sealevel, a gallery and community space in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset. The brainchild of seasoned performer and producer Jeremy Julian Greco, this intimate, low-tech series brings some of the Bay Area’s best solo artists to a venue so close to the ocean you can smell the salt tang in the air. A flourishing testament to the arts’ ability to take root and bloom wherever it may be planted, Sunset Solos’ summer performers include Scott Cohen and Tony Cyprien, with more to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New York Police officers outside the Altoona Police Department, where Luigi Mangione was taken into police custody, on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://luigithemusical.info/\">Luigi: the Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13-28; more dates TBA\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Taylor Street Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If I’m being honest, when I first heard about \u003cem>Luigi: the Musical\u003c/em>, I wondered if perhaps it was a little \u003cem>too soon\u003c/em>. Especially since there are apparently two unrelated Luigi Mangione musicals in the works, one here and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lonestarlive.com/life/2025/02/austin-company-behind-young-greg-abbott-creating-satirical-musical-inspired-by-luigi-mangione.html\">one in Austin, Texas\u003c/a>. But rather than a sympathetic portrait or ill-timed SNL-style skit, this 60-minute musical satire imagines three notorious inmates — Mangione, the accused shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson; accused sex trafficker Sean “Diddy” Combs; and convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried — in a cell together, representing the worst manifestations of individualism and fracturing societal norms. Also, songs. Its initial run at Taylor Street Theatre is already sold out, so watch for new dates to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976125\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 12-Aug. 10\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Written for and first performed by the extraordinary Lily Tomlin in 1985, Jane Wagner’s \u003cem>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/em> remains a skillful and relevant commentary on creativity, society and the human condition as experienced by a multi-generational collection of misfits, middle Americans, and muses. Aurora Theatre’s production stars Bay Area comedy performance legend Marga Gomez, poised to guide us — and some curious visitors from outer space — through a world where soup is art, art is soup, and the search for intelligence is a truly universal concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13857596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg\" alt='Still from \"Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart,\" a documentary directed by Tracy Heather Strain that premiered on PBS in 2018.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1082\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13857596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorraine Hansberry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PBS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/blancs\">Les Blancs\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at FLAX, Oakland\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1961, the prominent playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry penned \u003ca href=\"https://www.villagevoice.com/genet-mailer-the-new-paternalism/\">a thoughtful takedown\u003c/a> of Jean Genet’s \u003cem>The Blacks\u003c/em> for the \u003cem>Village Voice\u003c/em>. She worked on a theatrical response as well — her posthumously produced \u003cem>Les Blancs\u003c/em>. Set on the African continent, this seldom-performed play tackles the deep wounds of colonialism, and the right of indigenous people everywhere for self-determination and freedom from oppression and exploitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1011\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-800x482.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1020x614.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-768x462.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Torange Yeghiazarian, the founding artistic director of Golden Thread Productions. \u003ccite>(Navid G. Maghami)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/seeds/\">Seeds of Time Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 15-Aug. 3\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>514 Fourth Street Theater, San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something artistic this way comes. Marin Shakespeare Company and Play On Shakespeare team up for this festival of works-in-progress that reimagine classics into theatrical expressions of the now. Mostly Shakespeare-inspired — with Chekov and 12th century Persia in the mix — the six featured plays riff on themes of love, identity, power, motherhood and AI. A feast of local talent and fervent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Margaret Craig in ‘Ride the Cyclone’ at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jenni Chapman/Courtesy NCTC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://cltc.org/current-events/\">Head Over Heels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 17- Aug. 24\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>City Lights Theater, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/event/ride-the-cyclone-returns/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-Aug. 15\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If jukebox musicals have a “season,” surely it’s summer, when long days and languid nights seem to demand lighter, more joyous fare. City Lights Theater Company’s production of \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> — a jukebox musical featuring the greatest hits of the Go-Go’s — can fill that need. A less-than idyllic romp through ancient Arcadia, punctuated by songs such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed” and “Vacation,” \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> takes on gender, love and destiny with poppy aplomb. For fun-loving levity with original songs made popular on TikTok, New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco brings back their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966064/ride-the-cyclone-musical-review-san-francisco\">well received\u003c/a> and raucous production of teenage afterlife musical \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976129\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976129\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Circus Bella performs at the 25th Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on June 20 and 21. \u003ccite>(Emil Alex)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>All Summer Long\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take it outside with Circus Bella and ChoreoFest at the \u003ca href=\"https://ybgfestival.org/\">Yerba Buena Gardens Festival\u003c/a>; an \u003ca href=\"https://www.clubfugazisf.com/walking-tour\">arts-centered walking tour of North Beach\u003c/a> presented by the team behind circus spectacle \u003cem>Dear San Francisco\u003c/em>; an ode to California, SF Shakes-style, with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/gentlemen/\">Two Gentlemen of Verona\u003c/a>\u003c/em>; a hopefully restored mini-tour from the SF Mime Troupe (\u003ca href=\"https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/oyEZqUJSGrc_p45PgwHjhg\">donations are being accepted\u003c/a> to make it happen); \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://pineconesandportals.com/alice2025\">Alice in Wander Land\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a “hiking theatre” production for the young with ADA and ASL options for extra access; or \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeofberkeley.org/\">Shakespeare’s \u003cem>Cymbeline\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Taming of the Shrew\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley in John Hinkel Park.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Outdoor Shakespeare, musical premieres and returning favorites keep Bay Area stages hopping this summer.",
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"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED",
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"headline": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer",
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"source": "Summer Guide 2025",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In case you’ve avoided the news cycle, the performing arts are in an unprecedented funding crisis. The U.S. government is slowly dismantling the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions of dollars in already-awarded grants\u003c/a> across the country — including several nonprofits on this very summer theater preview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the support of your favorite organizations is more crucial than ever. What better way to support than to simply \u003cem>show up\u003c/em>? Get thee to a cabaret, a salon, or a summer musical. Buy a ticket, buy a drink, make the scene and make a difference. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 12 ways to avail yourself of theater’s transformative potential all summer long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976131\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) The ‘Co-Founders’ creative team of Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela, and RyanNicole Austin. \u003ccite>(Michaela Schulz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/co-founders/\">Co-Founders\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>May 29–July 6, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area-borne, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rhymecombinator.com/\">Rhyme Combinator\u003c/a>-conceived hip-hop musical \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em> has its world premiere at last. Taking audience immersion to the next level, this “tech-savvy” production promises next-level design elements, powerhouse local performers, and an of-the-moment tale of a Black woman’s attempt to break into the upper echelons of Silicon Valley without losing her soul (and her home). This show’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">a long time in the making\u003c/a>, and it’s ready to make some noise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-768x488.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1536x977.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1920x1221.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour in ‘The Big Reveal Live Show,’ running at Berkeley Rep June 4–15. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/\">Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 4–15, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incomparable Sasha Velour, drag queen of 1,000 rose petals and winner of Season 9 of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em>, comes back to her former hometown at Berkeley Rep with a revival of \u003cem>The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/em>. A showcase for Velour’s big ideas and even bigger drag, \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> offers a fabulous window into the creative landscape of one of drag’s most innovative performers. Sumptuous, playful, and profound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"661\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1536x508.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1920x635.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Jeremy Julian Greco, Tony Cyprien and Scott Cohen. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sunset Solos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sunsetsolos.com/\">Sunset Solos\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ongoing; third Sunday of each month\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Sealevel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since January 2024, a monthly solo performance showcase has been underway at Sealevel, a gallery and community space in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset. The brainchild of seasoned performer and producer Jeremy Julian Greco, this intimate, low-tech series brings some of the Bay Area’s best solo artists to a venue so close to the ocean you can smell the salt tang in the air. A flourishing testament to the arts’ ability to take root and bloom wherever it may be planted, Sunset Solos’ summer performers include Scott Cohen and Tony Cyprien, with more to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New York Police officers outside the Altoona Police Department, where Luigi Mangione was taken into police custody, on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://luigithemusical.info/\">Luigi: the Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13-28; more dates TBA\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Taylor Street Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If I’m being honest, when I first heard about \u003cem>Luigi: the Musical\u003c/em>, I wondered if perhaps it was a little \u003cem>too soon\u003c/em>. Especially since there are apparently two unrelated Luigi Mangione musicals in the works, one here and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lonestarlive.com/life/2025/02/austin-company-behind-young-greg-abbott-creating-satirical-musical-inspired-by-luigi-mangione.html\">one in Austin, Texas\u003c/a>. But rather than a sympathetic portrait or ill-timed SNL-style skit, this 60-minute musical satire imagines three notorious inmates — Mangione, the accused shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson; accused sex trafficker Sean “Diddy” Combs; and convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried — in a cell together, representing the worst manifestations of individualism and fracturing societal norms. Also, songs. Its initial run at Taylor Street Theatre is already sold out, so watch for new dates to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976125\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 12-Aug. 10\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Written for and first performed by the extraordinary Lily Tomlin in 1985, Jane Wagner’s \u003cem>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/em> remains a skillful and relevant commentary on creativity, society and the human condition as experienced by a multi-generational collection of misfits, middle Americans, and muses. Aurora Theatre’s production stars Bay Area comedy performance legend Marga Gomez, poised to guide us — and some curious visitors from outer space — through a world where soup is art, art is soup, and the search for intelligence is a truly universal concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13857596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg\" alt='Still from \"Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart,\" a documentary directed by Tracy Heather Strain that premiered on PBS in 2018.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1082\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13857596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorraine Hansberry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PBS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/blancs\">Les Blancs\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at FLAX, Oakland\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1961, the prominent playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry penned \u003ca href=\"https://www.villagevoice.com/genet-mailer-the-new-paternalism/\">a thoughtful takedown\u003c/a> of Jean Genet’s \u003cem>The Blacks\u003c/em> for the \u003cem>Village Voice\u003c/em>. She worked on a theatrical response as well — her posthumously produced \u003cem>Les Blancs\u003c/em>. Set on the African continent, this seldom-performed play tackles the deep wounds of colonialism, and the right of indigenous people everywhere for self-determination and freedom from oppression and exploitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1011\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-800x482.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1020x614.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-768x462.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Torange Yeghiazarian, the founding artistic director of Golden Thread Productions. \u003ccite>(Navid G. Maghami)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/seeds/\">Seeds of Time Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 15-Aug. 3\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>514 Fourth Street Theater, San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something artistic this way comes. Marin Shakespeare Company and Play On Shakespeare team up for this festival of works-in-progress that reimagine classics into theatrical expressions of the now. Mostly Shakespeare-inspired — with Chekov and 12th century Persia in the mix — the six featured plays riff on themes of love, identity, power, motherhood and AI. A feast of local talent and fervent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Margaret Craig in ‘Ride the Cyclone’ at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jenni Chapman/Courtesy NCTC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://cltc.org/current-events/\">Head Over Heels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 17- Aug. 24\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>City Lights Theater, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/event/ride-the-cyclone-returns/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-Aug. 15\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If jukebox musicals have a “season,” surely it’s summer, when long days and languid nights seem to demand lighter, more joyous fare. City Lights Theater Company’s production of \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> — a jukebox musical featuring the greatest hits of the Go-Go’s — can fill that need. A less-than idyllic romp through ancient Arcadia, punctuated by songs such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed” and “Vacation,” \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> takes on gender, love and destiny with poppy aplomb. For fun-loving levity with original songs made popular on TikTok, New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco brings back their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966064/ride-the-cyclone-musical-review-san-francisco\">well received\u003c/a> and raucous production of teenage afterlife musical \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976129\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976129\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Circus Bella performs at the 25th Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on June 20 and 21. \u003ccite>(Emil Alex)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>All Summer Long\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take it outside with Circus Bella and ChoreoFest at the \u003ca href=\"https://ybgfestival.org/\">Yerba Buena Gardens Festival\u003c/a>; an \u003ca href=\"https://www.clubfugazisf.com/walking-tour\">arts-centered walking tour of North Beach\u003c/a> presented by the team behind circus spectacle \u003cem>Dear San Francisco\u003c/em>; an ode to California, SF Shakes-style, with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/gentlemen/\">Two Gentlemen of Verona\u003c/a>\u003c/em>; a hopefully restored mini-tour from the SF Mime Troupe (\u003ca href=\"https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/oyEZqUJSGrc_p45PgwHjhg\">donations are being accepted\u003c/a> to make it happen); \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://pineconesandportals.com/alice2025\">Alice in Wander Land\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a “hiking theatre” production for the young with ADA and ASL options for extra access; or \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeofberkeley.org/\">Shakespeare’s \u003cem>Cymbeline\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Taming of the Shrew\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley in John Hinkel Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-bay-area-theater-2024",
"title": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2024",
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"headTitle": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2024 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>There’s no denying that theater continued to face massive obstacles in 2024. With audiences still choosing to stay home in large numbers, fundraising campaigns were often as common as season announcements, while consequential closures of legacy institutions stung the ecosystem as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, companies large and small continued to crank out successful, fantastic productions in the face of brutal headwinds — with some of the nation’s biggest touring productions adding cherries to our already massive regional theatrical sundae. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968854\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1248\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968854\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-800x499.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1020x636.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-768x479.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1536x958.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1920x1198.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim (William Thomas Hodgson), Amanda (Susi Damilano), Laura (Nicole Javier) and Tom (Jomar Tagatac) in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ at San Francisco Playhouse. \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Truth of Illusion in ‘Glass Menagerie’ at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-playhouse\">San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/a> in May, \u003cem>The Glass Menagerie\u003c/em>, one of Tennessee Williams’ most produced and haunting plays, served a master class in how to modernize a classic. First, find themes of relevance in our modern world through the fraught existence of the Wingfield family and its illusory protagonist Tom. Second, collect a bang-up cast of terrific performers. Third, let them cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This production wrangled such explosiveness out of the piercing text, extracting lessons of race, class and sexuality in flaring new ways. Jeffrey Lo’s direction of his diverse cast bubbled to a firmly unifying crescendo, easily making this one of the year’s most thrilling locally produced pieces of theater. The show blew me away at every turn.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1265\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968851\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-800x506.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1020x645.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-768x486.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1536x972.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1920x1214.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lisa Ramirez and the cast of ‘Angels in America.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Soaring ‘Angels in America’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland-theater-project\">Oakland Theater Project\u003c/a>’s exquisitely distilled \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em> stomped, glided and soared across the stage at Marin Shakespeare Company’s new digs in San Rafael. Remounts of this heaving contemporary epic with deep Bay Area roots are always highly anticipated events around these parts, and OTP’s version was a welcome addition to the firmament. From the inspired casting (including company stalwarts J Jha as Prior, and Lisa Ramirez as the Angel) to the bare-bones but carefully curated design choices and the full-throated demand for \u003cem>more life\u003c/em>, this production felt utterly of this time. That’s despite ostensibly being set in an earlier, similarly fraught era, when public health, personal faith and political machination collided in generationally shifting ways. Kudos to director Michael Moran for taking a big swing, and hitting a theatrical home run.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968847\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson in ‘Mexodus.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Solidarity Shined in Berkeley Rep’s ‘Mexodus’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If one of theater’s goals is to break new ground while bringing in a younger and more diverse patron base, then \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>’s production of \u003cem>Mexodus\u003c/em> was wildly successful. Channeling the art form of live looping in this two-hander, Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson fluttered and flew all over the stage while dropping sick beats everywhere. Their musical magic traversed multiple genres: hip-hop, reggaeton, bachata and classic Mexican bolero. In our fraught times, the message of unity between a Black slave and brown soldier through the Underground Railroad’s little known pathway into Mexico may be the show’s most hopeful lesson.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968855\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ai Yin Adelski, Laura Elaine Ellis and Jhia Jackson in Flyaway Productions’ ‘Ode to Jane.’ \u003ccite>(Brechin Flournoy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dance Dance Revolution\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Election years seem to generate desire for two very different kinds of works: the resolutely political, and the resolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>. For the former, I found solace and solidarity emanating from the dance community. Standouts included Flyaway Productions’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tenderloinmuseum.org/public-programs-2024-2/10/4-12/ode-to-jane\">Ode to Jane\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in which a fierce cohort of aerial performers scaled the walls of the Tenderloin’s Cadillac Hotel and soared over the streets to audio of abortion rights activists, community activators and a stirring score by Xoa Asa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the return of Dance Mission Theater’s \u003ca href=\"https://dancemissiontheater.org/2024/07/15/oct-13-nov-15-d-i-r-t-festival-2024/\">D.I.R.T. (Dance in Revolt-ing Times) Festival\u003c/a> included free outdoor activations in the form of embodied invocations led by Dance Brigade and guest artists, followed by pay-what-you-could indoor performances by powerhouse radicals such as the Embodiment Project, amara tabor-smith and Sara Shelton Mann. And over at Z Space, the barrier-breaking \u003ca href=\"https://seandorseydance.com/\">Sean Dorsey Dance\u003c/a> celebrated 20 years of cultivating trans and queer resistance via life-affirming, liberatory dance with a retrospective of early works.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1548\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968852\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-800x619.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1020x789.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1536x1189.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1920x1486.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Wiley Naman Strasser and Sam Jackson in ‘As You Like It’ at Cal Shakes — the final production in the company’s history. \u003ccite>(Craig Isaacs/BlueGoo photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Continued Rise (With One Tough Fall) of Outdoor Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area’s temperate summer climate makes us the envy of those who sweat, swelter and shrink elsewhere in the country. Sure, it’s a little chilly at night, but the cool fog rolling in is the stuff from which legendary songs are made. This year, summertime shows like \u003cem>Jersey Boys\u003c/em> at Oakland’s picturesque Woodminster Summer Musicals or the San Francisco Chinatown-inspired production of \u003cem>The Comedy of Errors\u003c/em> at Silicon Valley Shakespeare were dazzling in both spectacle and scenery. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, one of the Bay’s most perfect outdoor venues has officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">shut down for good\u003c/a>, and it’s impossible to overstate the impact on the Bay Area’s theater ecosystem. Many efforts were made to save \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/cal-shakes\">California Shakespeare Theater\u003c/a>, including a $350,000 fundraiser to bankroll its final production. Even a softening of the budget and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952927/zendaya-cal-shakes-north-star-fund-donation\">$100,000 gift from superstar (and Cal Shakes alum) Zendaya\u003c/a> could not stave off the inevitable. It’s depressing to think that Bruns Memorial Amphitheatre in Orinda, whose last production was \u003cem>As You Like It\u003c/em>, will now move forward only as a beautiful forest, “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968849\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Andre Amarotico, Michael Gene Sullivan, Mikki Johnson in the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s production of ‘American Dreams.’ \u003ccite>(Mike Melnyk)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Go Out(side) and Play\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Speaking of the great outdoors, it’s been a particularly good year to take in a performance al fresco. From the joys of witnessing a mesmerizing Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe wreak magical havoc in SF Shakes’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/tempest/\">The Tempest\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, to the solace of SF Mime Troupe’s election-year production \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmt.org/show-archive/american-dreams\">American Dreams\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, to a chance encounter with an afterlife-themed play — \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/skateboarding-through-bardos\">Skateboarding Through Bardos\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — during the Día de Los Muertos celebrations at Potrero del Sol Park, there were more than enough opportunities to scratch the theatre-going itch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A couple of way-outside-the-black-box concepts that I hope make a comeback next year are San Francisco’s mid-Market block parties, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marketstreetarts.org/unstaged\">Unstaged\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which included a rollicking “jazz club” aboard the F-Market train, and the delightful, kid-oriented \u003ca href=\"https://www.pineconesandportals.com/aiw2024\">Pinecones and Portals\u003c/a> “Hiking Theater Company” which holds its performances in East Bay parks. Audiences follow the action literally along woodland trails, or huddle together around campfires for music, stories, and s’mores. How cool is that?\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968856\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1459\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-800x584.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1020x744.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-768x560.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1536x1121.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1920x1401.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyana Diaz and Iris Diaz in ‘Paradise’ at La Lengua Teatro en Español in September.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Manuel Orbegozo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cinco Años de la Lengua\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Producing theater in San Francisco can be viciously difficult and cost-restrictive, often quickly turning grand openings in grand closings. Fortunately, Virginia M. Blanco didn’t get that message. Blanco’s company, La Lengua Teatro en Español, continues to find new ways forward, with a September run of their critically-acclaimed, world premiere production \u003cem>Paradise\u003c/em> by Tere Martínez playing to sold out houses at the Mission’s Brava Theater Center studio space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blanco, a native Argentinian and the executive artistic director and founder of the company, has poured heart and soul into the venture, surrounding herself with a terrific team of like-minded, passionate creatives who’ve tapped into the Bay’s massive Spanish-speaking citizenry. The company is celebrating their fifth year of existence, and are now in a \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/lalengua5years/davidmolina\">critical campaign\u003c/a> to secure funding for 2025. Despite the company being around since 2019, it certainly feels like they’re just getting started.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Lan (Sharon Omi) and Mai (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) are taken aback by consultant Vera (Rinabeth Apostol) in San Francisco Playhouse’s ‘My Home on the Moon.’ \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Future (Really) is Now\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was a good year for staged speculative fictions, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-playhouse\">SF Playhouse\u003c/a>’s production of \u003cem>My Home on the Moon\u003c/em>, by Minna Lee, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/act\">ACT\u003c/a>’s \u003cem>Big Data\u003c/em>, by Kate Atwell (both world premieres). The former was set in a simulverse inside a woman-owned, struggling Phở shop, where a community development “grant” from a corporate benefactor comes with a suspiciously helpful “consultant” named Vera (played impeccably by Rinabeth Apostol). With seemingly unflagging optimism for novelty and aphorism, Vera is eventually revealed to be AI, and when the newly decorated walls of the restaurant begin to crack and eventually transform, reality itself is revealed to be a fragmenting hall of mirrors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in Atwell’s \u003cem>Big Data\u003c/em>, the suspiciously helpful character “M” (a magnetic BD Wong) was the embodiment of “the” algorithm that dominates so much of what we consciously and unconsciously consume. Casually embedded in the everyday routines of a cast of interrelated characters, M had an uncanny ability to simultaneously attack and affirm, flirt and fight, and the startling results of his capricious, relentless campaign flipped the script, quite literally, by the play’s end. That both productions had incredible sets designed by Tanya Orellana was a welcome detail.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The world premiere of SFBATCO’s ‘Sign My Name to Freedom’ told the story of Bay Area icon Betty Reid Soskin, portrayed in four different phases of her life by (L–R) Cathleen Riddley, Aidaa Peerzada, Lucca Troutman and Tierra Allen.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Alexa 'LexMex' Treviño)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>SFBATCO Celebrates a Decade\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I first interviewed Rodney Earl Jackson, Jr. in 2014, when he was on tour in Motown: The Musical playing David Ruffin, which came with lead vocals on “My Girl.” That conversation with the native San Franciscan came around the same time his new theater venture, the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO), was kicking off. Jackson and co-founder Marcelo Javier’s company has made huge strides in the past 10 years, and is now considered one of the most critical developers of new work in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, their New Roots Theatre Festival launched with a focus on developing new works from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. And one of the company’s highlights in 2024 was their scintillating world premiere musical \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955108/betty-reid-soskin-stage-play-z-space-sign-my-name-to-freedom-review\">Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, telling the story of 103-year-old Betty Reid Soskin and her rich history in the Bay Area, including her retirement as a national park ranger at the age of 100.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There’s no denying that theater continued to face massive obstacles in 2024. With audiences still choosing to stay home in large numbers, fundraising campaigns were often as common as season announcements, while consequential closures of legacy institutions stung the ecosystem as a whole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, companies large and small continued to crank out successful, fantastic productions in the face of brutal headwinds — with some of the nation’s biggest touring productions adding cherries to our already massive regional theatrical sundae. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968854\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1248\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968854\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-800x499.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1020x636.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-768x479.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1536x958.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1920x1198.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim (William Thomas Hodgson), Amanda (Susi Damilano), Laura (Nicole Javier) and Tom (Jomar Tagatac) in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ at San Francisco Playhouse. \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Truth of Illusion in ‘Glass Menagerie’ at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-playhouse\">San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/a> in May, \u003cem>The Glass Menagerie\u003c/em>, one of Tennessee Williams’ most produced and haunting plays, served a master class in how to modernize a classic. First, find themes of relevance in our modern world through the fraught existence of the Wingfield family and its illusory protagonist Tom. Second, collect a bang-up cast of terrific performers. Third, let them cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This production wrangled such explosiveness out of the piercing text, extracting lessons of race, class and sexuality in flaring new ways. Jeffrey Lo’s direction of his diverse cast bubbled to a firmly unifying crescendo, easily making this one of the year’s most thrilling locally produced pieces of theater. The show blew me away at every turn.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1265\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968851\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-800x506.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1020x645.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-768x486.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1536x972.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-1-1920x1214.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lisa Ramirez and the cast of ‘Angels in America.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Soaring ‘Angels in America’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland-theater-project\">Oakland Theater Project\u003c/a>’s exquisitely distilled \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em> stomped, glided and soared across the stage at Marin Shakespeare Company’s new digs in San Rafael. Remounts of this heaving contemporary epic with deep Bay Area roots are always highly anticipated events around these parts, and OTP’s version was a welcome addition to the firmament. From the inspired casting (including company stalwarts J Jha as Prior, and Lisa Ramirez as the Angel) to the bare-bones but carefully curated design choices and the full-throated demand for \u003cem>more life\u003c/em>, this production felt utterly of this time. That’s despite ostensibly being set in an earlier, similarly fraught era, when public health, personal faith and political machination collided in generationally shifting ways. Kudos to director Michael Moran for taking a big swing, and hitting a theatrical home run.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968847\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968847\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mexodus_Production_2024_1581-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson in ‘Mexodus.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Solidarity Shined in Berkeley Rep’s ‘Mexodus’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If one of theater’s goals is to break new ground while bringing in a younger and more diverse patron base, then \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>’s production of \u003cem>Mexodus\u003c/em> was wildly successful. Channeling the art form of live looping in this two-hander, Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson fluttered and flew all over the stage while dropping sick beats everywhere. Their musical magic traversed multiple genres: hip-hop, reggaeton, bachata and classic Mexican bolero. In our fraught times, the message of unity between a Black slave and brown soldier through the Underground Railroad’s little known pathway into Mexico may be the show’s most hopeful lesson.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968855\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/01-Flyaway-Productions-Ode-to-Jane-Ai-Yin-Adelski-Laura-Elaine-Ellis-Jhia-Jackson-Photo-by-Brechin-Flournoy-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ai Yin Adelski, Laura Elaine Ellis and Jhia Jackson in Flyaway Productions’ ‘Ode to Jane.’ \u003ccite>(Brechin Flournoy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dance Dance Revolution\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Election years seem to generate desire for two very different kinds of works: the resolutely political, and the resolutely \u003cem>not\u003c/em>. For the former, I found solace and solidarity emanating from the dance community. Standouts included Flyaway Productions’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tenderloinmuseum.org/public-programs-2024-2/10/4-12/ode-to-jane\">Ode to Jane\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in which a fierce cohort of aerial performers scaled the walls of the Tenderloin’s Cadillac Hotel and soared over the streets to audio of abortion rights activists, community activators and a stirring score by Xoa Asa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the return of Dance Mission Theater’s \u003ca href=\"https://dancemissiontheater.org/2024/07/15/oct-13-nov-15-d-i-r-t-festival-2024/\">D.I.R.T. (Dance in Revolt-ing Times) Festival\u003c/a> included free outdoor activations in the form of embodied invocations led by Dance Brigade and guest artists, followed by pay-what-you-could indoor performances by powerhouse radicals such as the Embodiment Project, amara tabor-smith and Sara Shelton Mann. And over at Z Space, the barrier-breaking \u003ca href=\"https://seandorseydance.com/\">Sean Dorsey Dance\u003c/a> celebrated 20 years of cultivating trans and queer resistance via life-affirming, liberatory dance with a retrospective of early works.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1548\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968852\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-800x619.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1020x789.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1536x1189.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-3-1920x1486.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Wiley Naman Strasser and Sam Jackson in ‘As You Like It’ at Cal Shakes — the final production in the company’s history. \u003ccite>(Craig Isaacs/BlueGoo photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Continued Rise (With One Tough Fall) of Outdoor Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area’s temperate summer climate makes us the envy of those who sweat, swelter and shrink elsewhere in the country. Sure, it’s a little chilly at night, but the cool fog rolling in is the stuff from which legendary songs are made. This year, summertime shows like \u003cem>Jersey Boys\u003c/em> at Oakland’s picturesque Woodminster Summer Musicals or the San Francisco Chinatown-inspired production of \u003cem>The Comedy of Errors\u003c/em> at Silicon Valley Shakespeare were dazzling in both spectacle and scenery. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, one of the Bay’s most perfect outdoor venues has officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">shut down for good\u003c/a>, and it’s impossible to overstate the impact on the Bay Area’s theater ecosystem. Many efforts were made to save \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/cal-shakes\">California Shakespeare Theater\u003c/a>, including a $350,000 fundraiser to bankroll its final production. Even a softening of the budget and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952927/zendaya-cal-shakes-north-star-fund-donation\">$100,000 gift from superstar (and Cal Shakes alum) Zendaya\u003c/a> could not stave off the inevitable. It’s depressing to think that Bruns Memorial Amphitheatre in Orinda, whose last production was \u003cem>As You Like It\u003c/em>, will now move forward only as a beautiful forest, “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968849\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Mimetroupe-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Andre Amarotico, Michael Gene Sullivan, Mikki Johnson in the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s production of ‘American Dreams.’ \u003ccite>(Mike Melnyk)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Go Out(side) and Play\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Speaking of the great outdoors, it’s been a particularly good year to take in a performance al fresco. From the joys of witnessing a mesmerizing Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe wreak magical havoc in SF Shakes’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/tempest/\">The Tempest\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, to the solace of SF Mime Troupe’s election-year production \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmt.org/show-archive/american-dreams\">American Dreams\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, to a chance encounter with an afterlife-themed play — \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/skateboarding-through-bardos\">Skateboarding Through Bardos\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — during the Día de Los Muertos celebrations at Potrero del Sol Park, there were more than enough opportunities to scratch the theatre-going itch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A couple of way-outside-the-black-box concepts that I hope make a comeback next year are San Francisco’s mid-Market block parties, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marketstreetarts.org/unstaged\">Unstaged\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which included a rollicking “jazz club” aboard the F-Market train, and the delightful, kid-oriented \u003ca href=\"https://www.pineconesandportals.com/aiw2024\">Pinecones and Portals\u003c/a> “Hiking Theater Company” which holds its performances in East Bay parks. Audiences follow the action literally along woodland trails, or huddle together around campfires for music, stories, and s’mores. How cool is that?\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968856\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1459\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-800x584.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1020x744.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-768x560.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1536x1121.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Paradise_LaLengua_ManuelOrbegozo-150-1920x1401.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyana Diaz and Iris Diaz in ‘Paradise’ at La Lengua Teatro en Español in September.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Manuel Orbegozo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cinco Años de la Lengua\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Producing theater in San Francisco can be viciously difficult and cost-restrictive, often quickly turning grand openings in grand closings. Fortunately, Virginia M. Blanco didn’t get that message. Blanco’s company, La Lengua Teatro en Español, continues to find new ways forward, with a September run of their critically-acclaimed, world premiere production \u003cem>Paradise\u003c/em> by Tere Martínez playing to sold out houses at the Mission’s Brava Theater Center studio space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blanco, a native Argentinian and the executive artistic director and founder of the company, has poured heart and soul into the venture, surrounding herself with a terrific team of like-minded, passionate creatives who’ve tapped into the Bay’s massive Spanish-speaking citizenry. The company is celebrating their fifth year of existence, and are now in a \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/lalengua5years/davidmolina\">critical campaign\u003c/a> to secure funding for 2025. Despite the company being around since 2019, it certainly feels like they’re just getting started.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968850\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/SFP_MyHomeOnTheMoon_JessicaPalopoli_2-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Lan (Sharon Omi) and Mai (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) are taken aback by consultant Vera (Rinabeth Apostol) in San Francisco Playhouse’s ‘My Home on the Moon.’ \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Future (Really) is Now\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was a good year for staged speculative fictions, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-playhouse\">SF Playhouse\u003c/a>’s production of \u003cem>My Home on the Moon\u003c/em>, by Minna Lee, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/act\">ACT\u003c/a>’s \u003cem>Big Data\u003c/em>, by Kate Atwell (both world premieres). The former was set in a simulverse inside a woman-owned, struggling Phở shop, where a community development “grant” from a corporate benefactor comes with a suspiciously helpful “consultant” named Vera (played impeccably by Rinabeth Apostol). With seemingly unflagging optimism for novelty and aphorism, Vera is eventually revealed to be AI, and when the newly decorated walls of the restaurant begin to crack and eventually transform, reality itself is revealed to be a fragmenting hall of mirrors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in Atwell’s \u003cem>Big Data\u003c/em>, the suspiciously helpful character “M” (a magnetic BD Wong) was the embodiment of “the” algorithm that dominates so much of what we consciously and unconsciously consume. Casually embedded in the everyday routines of a cast of interrelated characters, M had an uncanny ability to simultaneously attack and affirm, flirt and fight, and the startling results of his capricious, relentless campaign flipped the script, quite literally, by the play’s end. That both productions had incredible sets designed by Tanya Orellana was a welcome detail.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/unnamed-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The world premiere of SFBATCO’s ‘Sign My Name to Freedom’ told the story of Bay Area icon Betty Reid Soskin, portrayed in four different phases of her life by (L–R) Cathleen Riddley, Aidaa Peerzada, Lucca Troutman and Tierra Allen.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Alexa 'LexMex' Treviño)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>SFBATCO Celebrates a Decade\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I first interviewed Rodney Earl Jackson, Jr. in 2014, when he was on tour in Motown: The Musical playing David Ruffin, which came with lead vocals on “My Girl.” That conversation with the native San Franciscan came around the same time his new theater venture, the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO), was kicking off. Jackson and co-founder Marcelo Javier’s company has made huge strides in the past 10 years, and is now considered one of the most critical developers of new work in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, their New Roots Theatre Festival launched with a focus on developing new works from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. And one of the company’s highlights in 2024 was their scintillating world premiere musical \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955108/betty-reid-soskin-stage-play-z-space-sign-my-name-to-freedom-review\">Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, telling the story of 103-year-old Betty Reid Soskin and her rich history in the Bay Area, including her retirement as a national park ranger at the age of 100.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-plays-musicals-bay-area-fall-2024-guide",
"title": "The Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "The Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>This past July is officially on record as the hottest California month in decades. And while cooler temperatures will be ushered into the Bay Area soon, theater companies are hoping that local stages continue to stay hot well into the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Companies are also gearing up to showcase their most artistic selves while continuing to find creative ways to achieve and maintain financial solvency. Here are 10 terrific shows from Labor Day to Thanksgiving one can start with to help support Bay Area theater companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1301\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-1536x1041.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarita Ocón and Hugo E. Carbajal in ‘Private Lives.’ \u003ccite>(Tim Fuller)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/private-lives/\">Private Lives\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nSept. 12–Oct. 6, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loathsome couple Elyot and Amanda aren’t looking for a reunion when they embark on a French vacation with new spouses. Yet the pull of their prior passions proves to be too much to resist, and a humor-filled comedy of manners ensues, rich with Noël Coward’s exquisite use of prose. A reunion of sorts from an acclaimed bilingual production of \u003cem>Romeo and Juliet\u003c/em> at Cal Shakes in 2022, multiple cast members now move to American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theater to be directed by KJ Sanchez. The play’s original setting of France, meanwhile, is swapped out for Argentina, where an exotic and sensual tango informs Coward’s narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After serving as artistic director of the Peninsula’s Pear Theatre since early 2020, Sinjin Jones is entering his final season helming the company, kicking off the 2024 campaign directing the musical ‘Once on This Island.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sinjin Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.thepear.org/\">Once on This Island\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Pear Theatre, Palo Alto\u003cbr>\nSept. 13–Oct. 13, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story of a young Black peasant girl and the love she finds with a mixed-race aristocrat in Haiti is the basis for this one-act musical. While the show itself carries a history of consequential productions, its significance as the kickoff for The Pear Theatre season is tinted with an impending loss. Sinjin Jones, who took over as artistic director of the Palo Alto company in early 2020, will leave at the end of the 2025 season. Jones has played a vital role in leading the company through the pandemic, all while revitalizing the 22-year-old theater troupe by promoting diversity and equity in addition to strengthening the company’s educational and community programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1103\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963071\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-800x552.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-1020x703.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-768x529.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-1536x1059.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marie (Dominique Thorne) observes the wedding dress of Jaja (Somi Kakoma) in the Broadway production of ‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,’ heading to Berkeley this fall.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Matthew Murphy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/jaja-s-african-hair-braiding/\">Jaja’s African Hair Braiding\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley\u003cbr>\nNov. 8–Dec. 15, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright Jocelyn Bioh is no stranger to Berkeley Rep, having premiered the musical \u003cem>Goddess\u003c/em> there in 2022. Her next visit to the East Bay is with Broadway’s sleeper hit of last fall, \u003cem>Jaja’s African Hair Braiding\u003c/em>, with Whitney White returning to the director’s chair in this co-production with Arena Stage and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Bioh’s play is an exercise in joy with serious themes about immigration and access to the American dream, all fused with a scorching Afrobeat soundtrack of the genre’s biggest stars. The play also features one of the coolest stage effects in recent memory throughout the entire show, culminating in some true theater magic at the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TheatreWorks Silicon Valley artistic director Giovanna Sardelli and Pulitzer-finalist playwright Rajiv Joseph have developed a long collaboration over the years. Joseph’s play ‘King James’ kicks of TheatreWorks’s 54th season. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/king-james/\">King James\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Mountain View\u003cbr>\nOct. 9–Nov. 3, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the rousing success of the United States men’s national basketball team, capped by a thrilling finish and a gold medal, there’s no better time to dive into this story of two friends who enter into an unexpected connection. These men, whose fortunes run through the early, prodigious career of Lebron James, are the creation of Pulitzer-finalist playwright Rajiv Joseph. TheatreWorks’ artistic director Giovanna Sardelli, a frequent collaborator of Joseph, kicks off the company’s 54th season directing this tale of hoops and hopes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963069\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1035\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963069\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-800x518.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-1020x660.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-768x497.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-1536x994.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Conservatory Theatre Center cast of ‘Ride the Cyclone,’ a show described as ‘weird and wondrous.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(New Conservatory Theatre Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nSept. 20–Oct. 20, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This grizzled and gritty musical follows a Canadian school choir group who perish on the Cyclone roller coaster — but, while in limbo, are offered a chance to return to life via a mechanical fortune teller. The piece has had a bit of a zany history since its 2008 premiere, created by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. The musical’s success reached something of a zenith in 2022 – on TikTok, millions of Gen Z users began diving deep into \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em> songs, stories and lore. The musical is dark, but also quite fun, and its regional premiere gives the Bay Area a chance to see what the hype is all about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963068\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"679\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sara Porkalob, seen here during the Marin Theatre Company production of ‘Dragon Lady’ in November of 2023, weaves a captivating tale of her grandmother’s perilous journey from Manila to the United States. Porkalob’s one-person show makes a return to the Bay Area via Walnut Creek at Center Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lesherartscenter.org/programs/center-repertory-company\">Dragon Lady\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Center Repertory Company, Walnut Creek\u003cbr>\nOct. 27–Nov. 24, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seattle’s Sara Porkalob is a piercing, shooting star, tackling the theater world on her own terms, and her trilogy of plays that chronicle the women in her life are produced all over the country. For those who missed her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938714/powerful-dragon-lady-weaves-tales-of-trauma-karaoke-and-a-very-memorable-matriarch\">critically acclaimed run\u003c/a> in Marin last fall of \u003cem>Dragon Lady\u003c/em>, where she morphs into multiple characters while showcasing her buttery singing voice, a second chance in Walnut Creek is a gift. Presented in association with Marin Theatre Company, Porkalob’s one-person show about her grandmother’s perilous and painful journey from Manila to the United States is a masterclass in how to command a theater space with splash and panache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963076\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963076\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ gets a reimagined production from the Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Maury Phillips/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/angels\">Angels in America, Parts I and II\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at Marin Shakespeare Company\u003cbr>\nSept. 27–Oct. 27, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this interpretation of one of theater’s greatest achievements, Tony Kushner’s two-part opus \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em>, Oakland Theater Project goes on the road to San Rafael at Marin Shakespeare Company’s new indoor space. Kushner is not known for writing pieces that are slim, and over two plays, \u003cem>Angels\u003c/em> easily surpasses seven hours. But what exists within those hours is incredibly powerful, raw and utterly thrilling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are endless themes within this story about AIDS’ impact on multiple couples in 1985. The Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play encompasses the taboo of homosexuality in the 1980s, the AIDS crisis that disproportionately impacted gay couples, and the crisis of religious faith, all intersecting with appearances by historical figures. The Bay Area is home to \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em> in many ways, from its initial commission at the former Eureka Theatre in San Francisco in 1990 to a hugely consequential production at Berkeley Rep in 2018. (Lisa Ramirez, featured in OTP’s production, also played The Angel in Berkeley that year.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Lizzie Borden case is fodder for a new punk musical. \u003ccite>(Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://6thstreetplayhouse.com/shows/2024-25/lizzie-the-musical/\">Lizzie: The Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa\u003cbr>\nOct. 4–27, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. In 1893, she was fully acquitted and lived the rest of her life in the same city the murders took place, Fall River, Massachusetts. And now, in Santa Rosa in 2024, her story is ready to shred at 6th Street Playhouse in the form of the 2009 rock musical. Expect all the components that make for a brutal tale of rage, sex, murder and mystery, plus power chords. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a precursor to the bloody delights of the visceral musical’s sharp rock score, some gentler fare is going down at 6th Street, with the musical \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://6thstreetplayhouse.com/shows/2024-25/four-guys-named-jose-and-una-mujer-named-maria/\">4 Guys Named José…and Una Mujer Named María\u003c/a>\u003c/em> opening at the end of August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1231\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-800x492.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1536x945.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1920x1182.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sam Jackson, left, takes on the joyful role of Rosalind, pursuing the love of Orlando, played by Wiley Naman Strasser, in Cal Shakes’s 50th anniversary production of William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ in Orinda. \u003ccite>(Cal Shakes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/asyoulikeit/\">As You Like It\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Bruns Amphitheater, Orinda\u003cbr>\nSept. 12–29, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Shakes faced some serious uphill battles to produce their first full production in two years, implementing a fundraising campaign that netted $365,000 — over their stated goal. While the future of the company is still fluid (the fundraiser is only supplementing the budget for this production), the company is firmly focused this 50th anniversary production of William Shakespeare’s classic at their picturesque outdoor space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Carter directs this pastoral comedy with one of Shakespeare’s most beloved female characters, Rosalind, who flees persecution in search of safety and love in the Forest of Arden, with many colorful characters entering her world along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"501\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13963079\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami-768x481.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.zspace.org/murakami\">Murakami: The Strange Library\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Z Space and Word for Word, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nNov. 13–Dec. 8, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A library best described as a nightmare is the setting for Haruki Murakami’s short novel \u003cem>The Strange Library\u003c/em>. With a lonely young boy, a mysterious girl and a tortured sheep man, the story is brought to life by Word for Word, a program of Z Space. The program has performed more than 70 stories since 1996, bringing theatrical flair to written word of all types. Lead teaching artist with the Youth Theater Project Lisa Hori-Garcia collaborates with Bay Area actor and designer Keiko Shimosato Carreiro to direct Murakami’s popular children’s story.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This past July is officially on record as the hottest California month in decades. And while cooler temperatures will be ushered into the Bay Area soon, theater companies are hoping that local stages continue to stay hot well into the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Companies are also gearing up to showcase their most artistic selves while continuing to find creative ways to achieve and maintain financial solvency. Here are 10 terrific shows from Labor Day to Thanksgiving one can start with to help support Bay Area theater companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1301\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Opt_6B5A2580_Credit-Tim-Fuller-1536x1041.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarita Ocón and Hugo E. Carbajal in ‘Private Lives.’ \u003ccite>(Tim Fuller)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/private-lives/\">Private Lives\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nSept. 12–Oct. 6, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loathsome couple Elyot and Amanda aren’t looking for a reunion when they embark on a French vacation with new spouses. Yet the pull of their prior passions proves to be too much to resist, and a humor-filled comedy of manners ensues, rich with Noël Coward’s exquisite use of prose. A reunion of sorts from an acclaimed bilingual production of \u003cem>Romeo and Juliet\u003c/em> at Cal Shakes in 2022, multiple cast members now move to American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theater to be directed by KJ Sanchez. The play’s original setting of France, meanwhile, is swapped out for Argentina, where an exotic and sensual tango informs Coward’s narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After serving as artistic director of the Peninsula’s Pear Theatre since early 2020, Sinjin Jones is entering his final season helming the company, kicking off the 2024 campaign directing the musical ‘Once on This Island.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sinjin Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.thepear.org/\">Once on This Island\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Pear Theatre, Palo Alto\u003cbr>\nSept. 13–Oct. 13, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story of a young Black peasant girl and the love she finds with a mixed-race aristocrat in Haiti is the basis for this one-act musical. While the show itself carries a history of consequential productions, its significance as the kickoff for The Pear Theatre season is tinted with an impending loss. Sinjin Jones, who took over as artistic director of the Palo Alto company in early 2020, will leave at the end of the 2025 season. Jones has played a vital role in leading the company through the pandemic, all while revitalizing the 22-year-old theater troupe by promoting diversity and equity in addition to strengthening the company’s educational and community programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1103\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963071\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-800x552.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-1020x703.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-768x529.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-2-1536x1059.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marie (Dominique Thorne) observes the wedding dress of Jaja (Somi Kakoma) in the Broadway production of ‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,’ heading to Berkeley this fall.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Matthew Murphy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/jaja-s-african-hair-braiding/\">Jaja’s African Hair Braiding\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley\u003cbr>\nNov. 8–Dec. 15, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright Jocelyn Bioh is no stranger to Berkeley Rep, having premiered the musical \u003cem>Goddess\u003c/em> there in 2022. Her next visit to the East Bay is with Broadway’s sleeper hit of last fall, \u003cem>Jaja’s African Hair Braiding\u003c/em>, with Whitney White returning to the director’s chair in this co-production with Arena Stage and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Bioh’s play is an exercise in joy with serious themes about immigration and access to the American dream, all fused with a scorching Afrobeat soundtrack of the genre’s biggest stars. The play also features one of the coolest stage effects in recent memory throughout the entire show, culminating in some true theater magic at the end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-3-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TheatreWorks Silicon Valley artistic director Giovanna Sardelli and Pulitzer-finalist playwright Rajiv Joseph have developed a long collaboration over the years. Joseph’s play ‘King James’ kicks of TheatreWorks’s 54th season. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/king-james/\">King James\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Mountain View\u003cbr>\nOct. 9–Nov. 3, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the rousing success of the United States men’s national basketball team, capped by a thrilling finish and a gold medal, there’s no better time to dive into this story of two friends who enter into an unexpected connection. These men, whose fortunes run through the early, prodigious career of Lebron James, are the creation of Pulitzer-finalist playwright Rajiv Joseph. TheatreWorks’ artistic director Giovanna Sardelli, a frequent collaborator of Joseph, kicks off the company’s 54th season directing this tale of hoops and hopes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963069\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1035\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963069\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-800x518.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-1020x660.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-768x497.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-4-1536x994.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Conservatory Theatre Center cast of ‘Ride the Cyclone,’ a show described as ‘weird and wondrous.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(New Conservatory Theatre Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nSept. 20–Oct. 20, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This grizzled and gritty musical follows a Canadian school choir group who perish on the Cyclone roller coaster — but, while in limbo, are offered a chance to return to life via a mechanical fortune teller. The piece has had a bit of a zany history since its 2008 premiere, created by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. The musical’s success reached something of a zenith in 2022 – on TikTok, millions of Gen Z users began diving deep into \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em> songs, stories and lore. The musical is dark, but also quite fun, and its regional premiere gives the Bay Area a chance to see what the hype is all about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963068\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"679\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/unnamed-5-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sara Porkalob, seen here during the Marin Theatre Company production of ‘Dragon Lady’ in November of 2023, weaves a captivating tale of her grandmother’s perilous journey from Manila to the United States. Porkalob’s one-person show makes a return to the Bay Area via Walnut Creek at Center Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lesherartscenter.org/programs/center-repertory-company\">Dragon Lady\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Center Repertory Company, Walnut Creek\u003cbr>\nOct. 27–Nov. 24, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seattle’s Sara Porkalob is a piercing, shooting star, tackling the theater world on her own terms, and her trilogy of plays that chronicle the women in her life are produced all over the country. For those who missed her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938714/powerful-dragon-lady-weaves-tales-of-trauma-karaoke-and-a-very-memorable-matriarch\">critically acclaimed run\u003c/a> in Marin last fall of \u003cem>Dragon Lady\u003c/em>, where she morphs into multiple characters while showcasing her buttery singing voice, a second chance in Walnut Creek is a gift. Presented in association with Marin Theatre Company, Porkalob’s one-person show about her grandmother’s perilous and painful journey from Manila to the United States is a masterclass in how to command a theater space with splash and panache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963076\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963076\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/TonyKushner-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ gets a reimagined production from the Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Maury Phillips/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/angels\">Angels in America, Parts I and II\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at Marin Shakespeare Company\u003cbr>\nSept. 27–Oct. 27, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this interpretation of one of theater’s greatest achievements, Tony Kushner’s two-part opus \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em>, Oakland Theater Project goes on the road to San Rafael at Marin Shakespeare Company’s new indoor space. Kushner is not known for writing pieces that are slim, and over two plays, \u003cem>Angels\u003c/em> easily surpasses seven hours. But what exists within those hours is incredibly powerful, raw and utterly thrilling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are endless themes within this story about AIDS’ impact on multiple couples in 1985. The Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play encompasses the taboo of homosexuality in the 1980s, the AIDS crisis that disproportionately impacted gay couples, and the crisis of religious faith, all intersecting with appearances by historical figures. The Bay Area is home to \u003cem>Angels in America\u003c/em> in many ways, from its initial commission at the former Eureka Theatre in San Francisco in 1990 to a hugely consequential production at Berkeley Rep in 2018. (Lisa Ramirez, featured in OTP’s production, also played The Angel in Berkeley that year.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/GettyImages-141199711-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Lizzie Borden case is fodder for a new punk musical. \u003ccite>(Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://6thstreetplayhouse.com/shows/2024-25/lizzie-the-musical/\">Lizzie: The Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa\u003cbr>\nOct. 4–27, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. In 1893, she was fully acquitted and lived the rest of her life in the same city the murders took place, Fall River, Massachusetts. And now, in Santa Rosa in 2024, her story is ready to shred at 6th Street Playhouse in the form of the 2009 rock musical. Expect all the components that make for a brutal tale of rage, sex, murder and mystery, plus power chords. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a precursor to the bloody delights of the visceral musical’s sharp rock score, some gentler fare is going down at 6th Street, with the musical \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://6thstreetplayhouse.com/shows/2024-25/four-guys-named-jose-and-una-mujer-named-maria/\">4 Guys Named José…and Una Mujer Named María\u003c/a>\u003c/em> opening at the end of August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1231\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13963078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-800x492.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1536x945.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AsYouLikeIt-1-1920x1182.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sam Jackson, left, takes on the joyful role of Rosalind, pursuing the love of Orlando, played by Wiley Naman Strasser, in Cal Shakes’s 50th anniversary production of William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ in Orinda. \u003ccite>(Cal Shakes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/asyoulikeit/\">As You Like It\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Bruns Amphitheater, Orinda\u003cbr>\nSept. 12–29, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Shakes faced some serious uphill battles to produce their first full production in two years, implementing a fundraising campaign that netted $365,000 — over their stated goal. While the future of the company is still fluid (the fundraiser is only supplementing the budget for this production), the company is firmly focused this 50th anniversary production of William Shakespeare’s classic at their picturesque outdoor space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Carter directs this pastoral comedy with one of Shakespeare’s most beloved female characters, Rosalind, who flees persecution in search of safety and love in the Forest of Arden, with many colorful characters entering her world along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"501\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13963079\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Murakami-768x481.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.zspace.org/murakami\">Murakami: The Strange Library\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Z Space and Word for Word, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nNov. 13–Dec. 8, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A library best described as a nightmare is the setting for Haruki Murakami’s short novel \u003cem>The Strange Library\u003c/em>. With a lonely young boy, a mysterious girl and a tortured sheep man, the story is brought to life by Word for Word, a program of Z Space. The program has performed more than 70 stories since 1996, bringing theatrical flair to written word of all types. Lead teaching artist with the Youth Theater Project Lisa Hori-Garcia collaborates with Bay Area actor and designer Keiko Shimosato Carreiro to direct Murakami’s popular children’s story.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Bumpy Return Trip to Oklahoma for Tom Joad’s Descendants",
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"content": "\u003cp>There is a searing urgency to the lyrical poetry and luscious prose of playwright Octavio Solis. In his Berkeley Repertory Theatre debut production of \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>, each character has a mission to “dale gas,” a Spanish phrase that urges a firm pedal to the metal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite some storytelling that veers into quizzical directions, it’s that very urgency that provides \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> with its sharpest moments, informed by one of literature’s most decorated novels. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Steinbeck’s Pultizer- and Nobel-winning \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em> provides the texture for this modern sequel, borne of Solis’ grand imagination and brought to the stage via David Mendizábal’s sharp direction. The 1939 novel’s flawed yet virtuous hero Tom Joad is heavily present in \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>, as his bloodline runs deep inside his descendant, Martín Jodes (Emilio Garcia-Sanchez). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960264\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cher Álvarez (Amelia), James Carpenter (William Joad), and Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martín doesn’t have much going for himself in California. He struggles to make ends meet as a migrant farmworker, moving from crop to crop. A marriage engagement to Amelia (Cher Álvarez) has gone kaput. So when a man named William Joad (James Carpenter) arrives with a mysterious proposition to bequeath 2,000 acres of Oklahoma land to Joad descendant Martín, the young man joins his older relative in a return trip to Oklahoma on Route 66, which Steinbeck dubbed “The Mother Road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That legendary stretch of highway, which held so much peril for the Joad clan, offered the false and cruel hopes of a California where golden crops and crisp bills grew everywhere. While the Dust Bowl caused tenant farmers to flee Oklahoma in the 1930s due to economic hardship, drought and agricultural shifts, Martín, despite seeing the state as less than desirable, sees it giving his fortunes a massive boost. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That boost is not just reserved to these two road-trip compatriots, with Martín hopeful and William battling life-threatening health issues. The newfound power of Martín means hiring his passion-fueled cousin Mo (Lindsay Rico), who provides a burst of energy essential to any good road trip story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960265\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daniel Duque-Estrada (Abelardo), Lindsay Rico (Mo), and Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Joyous moments come as the trio barrels down Route 66 in their beat-up pickup truck. (The truck itself is one of the stars of the show, with many bells and whistles — even a restaurant complete with neon sign, inside the vehicle — designed by Tanya Orellana.) Yet the road is still filled with the dangers of modern society, especially when a brown man and queer brown woman are riding in a sketchy vehicle through unwelcoming locales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone who loves \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em> will be pleased to engage in this adaptation. Several Easter eggs recall the harrowing nature of the Joad family. As in the novel, the dream of acquiring land and the role of protectors expanding in this modern universe is ever-present. There is a luscious excitement in connecting the brutal parallels of Tom and Martín, with each tasked to deliver critical oration that punctuates the story. (Sound by Jake Rodriguez and original music by Ritmos Tropicosmos provide scintillating texture.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Garcia-Sanchez’s performance lacks in variety is made up for by his brooding intensity. Paired with Carpenter, a veteran of the highest order, their chemistry can sometimes be hit-or-miss. They craft a bond that isn’t always fluid, but their willingness to engage and share each of their character’s vulnerabilities pushes the story toward a satisfying, powerful denouement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960263\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960263\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Moreland Milligan (Roger), Benny Wayne Sully (Curtis), Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes), Courtney Walsh (Ivy), and Branden Davon Lindsay (James) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The multiple characterizations of the cast are highlighted beautifully by Álvarez, who lets her various characters breathe inside some powerful discoveries. Solis emphasizes multiple stylings and humor in his narrative; one of the most effective moments comes when Álvarez delivers some critical words in Spanish. Rico’s Mo offers up laughs in some nice setups, while in one embattled moment, her range powerfully comes into play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> could use a bit of trimming to tighten its narrative, the story still has a gripping power, coming from some of the greatest source material in literature. Solis handles his inspiration from Steinbeck with aplomb, and \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> accentuates one devastating fact consistently: In a world that has always offered more danger than respite to its most marginalized, sometimes the best thing to do is hit the pavement hard and “dale gas,” no matter what.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Mother Road’ runs through Sunday, July 21 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/mother-road/\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There is a searing urgency to the lyrical poetry and luscious prose of playwright Octavio Solis. In his Berkeley Repertory Theatre debut production of \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>, each character has a mission to “dale gas,” a Spanish phrase that urges a firm pedal to the metal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite some storytelling that veers into quizzical directions, it’s that very urgency that provides \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> with its sharpest moments, informed by one of literature’s most decorated novels. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Steinbeck’s Pultizer- and Nobel-winning \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em> provides the texture for this modern sequel, borne of Solis’ grand imagination and brought to the stage via David Mendizábal’s sharp direction. The 1939 novel’s flawed yet virtuous hero Tom Joad is heavily present in \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>, as his bloodline runs deep inside his descendant, Martín Jodes (Emilio Garcia-Sanchez). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960264\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_074-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cher Álvarez (Amelia), James Carpenter (William Joad), and Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martín doesn’t have much going for himself in California. He struggles to make ends meet as a migrant farmworker, moving from crop to crop. A marriage engagement to Amelia (Cher Álvarez) has gone kaput. So when a man named William Joad (James Carpenter) arrives with a mysterious proposition to bequeath 2,000 acres of Oklahoma land to Joad descendant Martín, the young man joins his older relative in a return trip to Oklahoma on Route 66, which Steinbeck dubbed “The Mother Road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That legendary stretch of highway, which held so much peril for the Joad clan, offered the false and cruel hopes of a California where golden crops and crisp bills grew everywhere. While the Dust Bowl caused tenant farmers to flee Oklahoma in the 1930s due to economic hardship, drought and agricultural shifts, Martín, despite seeing the state as less than desirable, sees it giving his fortunes a massive boost. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That boost is not just reserved to these two road-trip compatriots, with Martín hopeful and William battling life-threatening health issues. The newfound power of Martín means hiring his passion-fueled cousin Mo (Lindsay Rico), who provides a burst of energy essential to any good road trip story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960265\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_104-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daniel Duque-Estrada (Abelardo), Lindsay Rico (Mo), and Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Joyous moments come as the trio barrels down Route 66 in their beat-up pickup truck. (The truck itself is one of the stars of the show, with many bells and whistles — even a restaurant complete with neon sign, inside the vehicle — designed by Tanya Orellana.) Yet the road is still filled with the dangers of modern society, especially when a brown man and queer brown woman are riding in a sketchy vehicle through unwelcoming locales.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone who loves \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em> will be pleased to engage in this adaptation. Several Easter eggs recall the harrowing nature of the Joad family. As in the novel, the dream of acquiring land and the role of protectors expanding in this modern universe is ever-present. There is a luscious excitement in connecting the brutal parallels of Tom and Martín, with each tasked to deliver critical oration that punctuates the story. (Sound by Jake Rodriguez and original music by Ritmos Tropicosmos provide scintillating texture.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Garcia-Sanchez’s performance lacks in variety is made up for by his brooding intensity. Paired with Carpenter, a veteran of the highest order, their chemistry can sometimes be hit-or-miss. They craft a bond that isn’t always fluid, but their willingness to engage and share each of their character’s vulnerabilities pushes the story toward a satisfying, powerful denouement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960263\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960263\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/MTR_137-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Moreland Milligan (Roger), Benny Wayne Sully (Curtis), Emilio Garcia-Sanchez (Martín Jodes), Courtney Walsh (Ivy), and Branden Davon Lindsay (James) in ‘Mother Road,’ by Octavio Solis, at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The multiple characterizations of the cast are highlighted beautifully by Álvarez, who lets her various characters breathe inside some powerful discoveries. Solis emphasizes multiple stylings and humor in his narrative; one of the most effective moments comes when Álvarez delivers some critical words in Spanish. Rico’s Mo offers up laughs in some nice setups, while in one embattled moment, her range powerfully comes into play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> could use a bit of trimming to tighten its narrative, the story still has a gripping power, coming from some of the greatest source material in literature. Solis handles his inspiration from Steinbeck with aplomb, and \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em> accentuates one devastating fact consistently: In a world that has always offered more danger than respite to its most marginalized, sometimes the best thing to do is hit the pavement hard and “dale gas,” no matter what.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Mother Road’ runs through Sunday, July 21 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/mother-road/\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle",
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"content": "\u003cp>During the Renaissance era, the conflicting bedfellows of religion and science had clear delineations, dictated by Earth’s highest stewards to Heaven’s gates. “Science asks questions, but the Bible gives the answers,” thundered Pope Urban VIII, verbalizing the view of many in Europe’s 16th and 17th centuries. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Galileo Galilei fancied himself a strong purveyor of both the scientific and theological, his moral core of truth at the center of his existence faced a brutal reckoning — one that ultimately ripped both his body and soul to shreds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13957684']In the spellbinding yet problematic world premiere musical \u003cem>Galileo\u003c/em>, which opened May 15 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, discoveries made in both science and religion complicate matters. Its storyline is greatly informed by the modern-day war on truth, loaded with a ceaselessly high-octane rock music score exploited mightily by the wicked talents of director Michael Mayer. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Kushnier (Bishop Maffeo Barberini) and Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Galileo Galilei (Raúl Esparza) has taken root in his laboratory, a man of 45 who has trouble blindly accepting the religious view that Earth is the center of the universe. After all, that view had been challenged years prior by fellow polymath Nicolaus Copernicus in the famed heliocentric model, where Earth and other planets were shown to revolve around the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An affirmation of those teachings, thanks to Galileo’s enhancement of the telescope, has proved unsatisfactory to the dominant biblical divinity of Catholic doctrine, which citizens believe to be infallible. Yet Galileo still carries some support, despite the dominance of Cardinal Morosini (Javier Muñoz), who gives no space for what he perceives as anti-Bible sentiments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13957845']The support of Galileo’s close ally Bishop Barberini (Jeremy Kushnier) contributes greatly to his desire to continue locking horns with the Catholic establishment, and when Barberini is elevated as pontiff and becomes Pope Urban VIII, Galileo is poised to break through and declare truth the victor. Yet an effort by the pope to slow the public acceleration of Galileo’s scientific theories, introduced in Galileo’s book comparing the Copernican system with the accepted and less truthful Ptolemaic system, comes with an offensive slight, accelerating Galileo’s demise. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei, center) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So many elements of spectacle allow the musical to brew and breathe within a white-hot fire, with music thrusting itself to the top of the ticket. Composers Michael Weiner and Zoe Sarnak unleash consecutive bangers, challenging their vocalists with vein-popping verve, melodies and divine harmonies as persistent as Galileo himself. Those compositions are nestled neatly inside Danny Strong’s book. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each challenge is accepted by the cast, led by Broadway stalwart Esparza, who digs mightily into every ounce of his scintillating, grizzled register. A delicious counterpoint to Esparza’s wide-ranging vocals is his commitment to Galileo’s painful and joyous discoveries. His eyes accentuate each arc in every moment, a broken and beaten man who is constantly reminded that power decides truth, not the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christian Magby (Alessandro Tarantola) and Madalynn Mathews (Virginia Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kushnier’s mellifluity lives within its own constellation, a buttery-smooth falsetto that spotlights tenderness and admiration for Galileo, especially in his solo “By Thy Light I See.” Muñoz, Esparza’s fellow Broadway star, commands respect as the uncompromising Morosini, and Madelynn Mathews as Galileo’s embattled daughter Virginia, whose illegitimacy thrusts her away from love and into a cloistered life, gives a master class in vocals and empathy. These four craft a narrative that elevates the entire company in a show that gets louder and louder as time passes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where the piece needs harnessing begins late in the second act, when a certain theme carries on much too long, ultimately diluting the critical nature of its voice. It’s as if the concept of truth and its virtues need constant repeating, which drags the entire narrative down. A piece that moves towards three hours needs to slap incessantly; this is not the case here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, the show feels as if it’s hurtling somewhere with no expense spared, especially through the technical design. Scenic work by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck pairs beautifully with Anita Yavich’s nuanced and sparkly costume plot. Jason H. Thompson, along with Kaitlyn Pietras, go all in on Christian symbolism through their passionate projection design, combined sharply with the lighting of Kevin Adams. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many morsels that challenge in Strong’s book, and a critical question is posed: “When does the truth cost too much?” Thankfully for Galileo, and in a lesson for the masses, a legacy and the truth are not for sale. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Galileo’ runs through June 23 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/galileo/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the spellbinding yet problematic world premiere musical \u003cem>Galileo\u003c/em>, which opened May 15 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, discoveries made in both science and religion complicate matters. Its storyline is greatly informed by the modern-day war on truth, loaded with a ceaselessly high-octane rock music score exploited mightily by the wicked talents of director Michael Mayer. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Kushnier (Bishop Maffeo Barberini) and Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Galileo Galilei (Raúl Esparza) has taken root in his laboratory, a man of 45 who has trouble blindly accepting the religious view that Earth is the center of the universe. After all, that view had been challenged years prior by fellow polymath Nicolaus Copernicus in the famed heliocentric model, where Earth and other planets were shown to revolve around the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An affirmation of those teachings, thanks to Galileo’s enhancement of the telescope, has proved unsatisfactory to the dominant biblical divinity of Catholic doctrine, which citizens believe to be infallible. Yet Galileo still carries some support, despite the dominance of Cardinal Morosini (Javier Muñoz), who gives no space for what he perceives as anti-Bible sentiments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The support of Galileo’s close ally Bishop Barberini (Jeremy Kushnier) contributes greatly to his desire to continue locking horns with the Catholic establishment, and when Barberini is elevated as pontiff and becomes Pope Urban VIII, Galileo is poised to break through and declare truth the victor. Yet an effort by the pope to slow the public acceleration of Galileo’s scientific theories, introduced in Galileo’s book comparing the Copernican system with the accepted and less truthful Ptolemaic system, comes with an offensive slight, accelerating Galileo’s demise. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei, center) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So many elements of spectacle allow the musical to brew and breathe within a white-hot fire, with music thrusting itself to the top of the ticket. Composers Michael Weiner and Zoe Sarnak unleash consecutive bangers, challenging their vocalists with vein-popping verve, melodies and divine harmonies as persistent as Galileo himself. Those compositions are nestled neatly inside Danny Strong’s book. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each challenge is accepted by the cast, led by Broadway stalwart Esparza, who digs mightily into every ounce of his scintillating, grizzled register. A delicious counterpoint to Esparza’s wide-ranging vocals is his commitment to Galileo’s painful and joyous discoveries. His eyes accentuate each arc in every moment, a broken and beaten man who is constantly reminded that power decides truth, not the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christian Magby (Alessandro Tarantola) and Madalynn Mathews (Virginia Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kushnier’s mellifluity lives within its own constellation, a buttery-smooth falsetto that spotlights tenderness and admiration for Galileo, especially in his solo “By Thy Light I See.” Muñoz, Esparza’s fellow Broadway star, commands respect as the uncompromising Morosini, and Madelynn Mathews as Galileo’s embattled daughter Virginia, whose illegitimacy thrusts her away from love and into a cloistered life, gives a master class in vocals and empathy. These four craft a narrative that elevates the entire company in a show that gets louder and louder as time passes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where the piece needs harnessing begins late in the second act, when a certain theme carries on much too long, ultimately diluting the critical nature of its voice. It’s as if the concept of truth and its virtues need constant repeating, which drags the entire narrative down. A piece that moves towards three hours needs to slap incessantly; this is not the case here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, the show feels as if it’s hurtling somewhere with no expense spared, especially through the technical design. Scenic work by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck pairs beautifully with Anita Yavich’s nuanced and sparkly costume plot. Jason H. Thompson, along with Kaitlyn Pietras, go all in on Christian symbolism through their passionate projection design, combined sharply with the lighting of Kevin Adams. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many morsels that challenge in Strong’s book, and a critical question is posed: “When does the truth cost too much?” Thankfully for Galileo, and in a lesson for the masses, a legacy and the truth are not for sale. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Galileo’ runs through June 23 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/galileo/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Your Guide to the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer",
"headTitle": "Your Guide to the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>This summer, Bay Area theater offers something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking out experimental offerings, a tried-and-true Shakespeare classic under the stars, or some hefty song and dance Broadway style, the Bay Area’s summer has you covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 10 shows in the Bay Area from June to early September that are not to be missed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1432\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957713\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-800x597.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-1020x761.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-1536x1146.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fact-checking and copy editing take center stage in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre this summer. \u003ccite>(Aurora Theatre)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/fact\">The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003cbr>\nJune 21–July 25, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Fingal is a newly minted Harvard grad who takes a job at a consequential magazine as a fact-checker. That consequence has softened, however, since the magazine is now hanging by a thread. An essay from mega-talent John D’Agata, about a teen boy’s suicide, could change the magazine’s fortunes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s one major problem — the actual facts of the story are shaky at best, placing both characters into a battle between truth and fiction. (The play’s heralded 2018 Broadway run featured actors Bobby Cannavale, Daniel Radcliffe and Cherry Jones.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no better time to support Aurora, a gem of a small theater in Berkeley. Like many theaters post-pandemic, the company faces a major funding shortfall, and are in \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/AuroraSpring24\">an active campaign\u003c/a> to save their artistic outlet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1665px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1665\" height=\"1143\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych.jpg 1665w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-800x549.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-1020x700.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-768x527.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1665px) 100vw, 1665px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jonathan Rhys Williams is Lawrence Jameson and Keith Pinto is Freddy Benson in the San Jose Stage production of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.’ \u003ccite>(San Jose Stage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.thestage.org/\">Dirty Rotten Scoundrels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Jose Stage\u003cbr>\nJune 5–30, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on the popular 1988 film and directed by Stage Associate Artist Johnny Moreno, this French Riviera con caper follows two men who compete for the heart of a wealthy American heiress. Featuring a jazzy score from composer David Yazbek (\u003cem>The Full Monty\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Band’s Visit\u003c/em>), the Stage is digging into another example of what they do so well — the quirky summer musical. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957712\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bridgette Loriaux is Beatrice and Johnny Moreno is Benedick in ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Marin Shakespeare Company)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/\">Much Ado About Nothing\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Marin Shakespeare Company, San Rafael\u003cbr>\nJune 28–July 28, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this wild Shakespearean romp, Beatrice and Benedick engage in a war of words while the soldier Claudio falls for the fair Hero. After the requisite bickering commences, love is discovered, vows are exchanged and all is well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Popular Bay Area director and educator Domenique Lozano handles the direction, with Bridgette Loriaux playing Beatrice and Johnny Moreno tackling Benedick. And while the play’s the thing, renting some cushions and plopping them down inside the spacious seating area for a show under the North Bay stars can’t be beat. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Preshow pro tip – enjoy a Cubano sandwich at Sol Food down the street while taking in some salsa beats from the live band that plays on the sidewalk.\u003cbr>\nAnd if you’re looking for even more Shakespearean comedy under the summer stars, the return of Cal Shakes in Orinda to regular theater programming includes the 50th anniversary production of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/as-you-like-it-2024/\">As You Like It\u003c/a>\u003c/em> at Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1885\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957709\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-800x785.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-1020x1001.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-768x754.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-1536x1508.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Williams comes to Oakland for the role of Tommy DeVito in the Woodminster Summer Musicals production ‘Jersey Boys’ in July.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ryan J. Zirngibl)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.woodminster.com/\">Jersey Boys\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Woodminster Summer Musicals, Oakland\u003cbr>\nJuly 12–21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons has had productions all over the world, with Broadway and off-Broadway productions still running while multiple national tours stop often in the Bay Area. (The production made its regional premiere via the first national tour in December of 2006 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are several reasons for the production’s popularity, namely the non-stop hit parade that is the music of Valli and songwriter Bob Gaudio, whose handshake agreement lasting decades is the stuff of legend. But the one thing that could usurp the show’s quality is the venue itself, nestled neatly within Joaquin Miller Park in the idyllic Oakland hills. When night falls, it’s one of the most picturesque views in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1180px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Octavio Solis’ ‘Mother Road,’an adaptation of ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ explores the story of Martín, a descendant of the Joad family. \u003ccite>(Anne Hamersky)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/mother-road/\">Mother Road\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Berkeley Repertory Theatre\u003cbr>\nJune 14–July 21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Octavio Solis, who spent decades in the Bay Area before moving to Oregon, makes one of his frequent Bay Area returns with \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>. The story is a spinoff of \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em>, taking the story’s iconic blue-collar hero Tom Joad and offering the new narrative of his descendant named Martín, a Mexican-American migrant worker. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terminally ill William Joad learns of Martín as an heir to the family farm, and together they return to Oklahoma, the site of the Joad family’s perilous journey that serves as the soul of the original source material. Solis’ realism and poetic sensibilities are placed in the hands of the Rep’s associate artistic director David Mendizábal, who will direct the piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1417\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-1536x1134.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Playwright Naomi Iizuka is spending the bulk of her summer in San Francisco, with the world premiere of her play ‘Garuda’s Wing’ debuting in June, and her translation of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II’ opening in August.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Magic Theatre)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://magictheatre.org/calendar/garudas-wing\">Garuda’s Wing\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Magic Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nJune 5–July 23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright Naomi Iizuka is getting cozy inside the iconic theater space at Fort Mason for the entire summer, kicking things off with a ghost play. It’s an international investigation, and an intergenerational exploration, set across locales such as Jakarta and Borneo. A search unearths murder, while exposing the effects of revolution and colonialism. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre artistic director Margo Hall directs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To further expand on Iizuka’s time in San Francisco, her translation of the intense and timely \u003cem>Richard II\u003c/em>, directed by Santa Clara University professor Karina Gutierrez, follows in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former TheatreWorks Silicon Valley artistic director Robert Kelley returns for the world premiere of ‘Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration’ this June in Mountain View. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/being-alive/\">Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Mountain View\u003cbr>\nJune 5–30, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Stephen Sondheim’s passing in November of 2021, the master composer and lyricist has continued his dominance over every ounce of the musical theater landscape. Now, longtime collaborators Robert Kelley, who served TheatreWorks as artistic director for 50 years, and resident musical director William Liberatore are offering up another new take on Sondheim’s wonderful life. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TheatreWorks is a perfect spot for this world premiere, considering Sondheim is the company’s most produced composer. Expect many of Sondheim’s most iconic hits to make their way onto the stage, performed by a stellar six-person cast. (And for those who need even more Sondheim, the 2022 Broadway revival of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/company/\">Company\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in which the single 35-year-old Bobbie is gender-swapped for a woman, lunches at BroadwaySF’s Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco for the month of June.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1224\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957710\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-800x510.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-768x490.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-1536x979.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Playwright Michael Wayne Turner III will perform as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in ‘The Ghost of King’ in Oakland.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Oakland Theater Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">The Ghost of King\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project\u003cbr>\nJune 6–23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Wayne Turner III is both the creator and featured performer of this exploration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., digging into the famed civil rights leader and his tireless advocacy to ensure that the underclass are given justice and opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Theater Project is doing what they do very well — develop, develop, develop — and Turner weaves the life and conflicts of King together with his poetry and most memorable speeches. Details and research inform this insightful deep dive into the iconic leader and orator, gunned down in 1968 a few months past his 39th birthday. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957704\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heikki Koskinen and Nan Busse in “Happened Change,” an entry in this year’s San Francisco Fringe Festival, running at the Exit Theatre in August.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Steve Bronson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theexit.org/\">San Francisco Fringe Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Exit Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nAug. 9–25, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 33rd installment of San Francisco Fringe is all about quirky, poignant fun that exists off the beaten path from run-of-the-mill theatrical fare. Many of the shows are of the solo variety, and Exit Theatre’s festival continues to provide voices and opportunity for theater makers to sharpen both their art and their voices. This year’s festival features a whopping 45 performances of 15 different shows. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,’ Romelo Urbi plays the title role of Jamie, a 16-year-old high schooler in Sheffield who privately dreams of drag queen stardom. \u003ccite>(Shane Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.rayoflighttheatre.com/jamie\">Everybody’s Talking About Jamie\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ray of Light Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nJune 1–23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>British denizens fell in love with the luminous 16-year-old gay teen Jamie, who was a fixture on London’s West End toward the end of the past decade. Sadly, Americans had to wait. Despite a critically acclaimed 2021 film version, productions of the musical in the United States have been scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June, Ray of Light Theatre gives the Bay an opportunity to fall head over stiletto heels for Jamie, an outcast who dreams of becoming a fabulous drag queen and finding superstar status on the biggest stages. It’s a tender story that shows what allyship and acceptance can mean to a young person looking to soar within their individuality in every aspect of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A delightful local cast steps in for this one, with Romelo Urbi taking on the title role, and the entire production is led by director Alex Kirschner. Fittingly, the show’s opening night coincides with the annual start to Pride month across the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This summer, Bay Area theater offers something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking out experimental offerings, a tried-and-true Shakespeare classic under the stars, or some hefty song and dance Broadway style, the Bay Area’s summer has you covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 10 shows in the Bay Area from June to early September that are not to be missed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1432\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957713\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-800x597.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-1020x761.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lifespan.rev_-1536x1146.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fact-checking and copy editing take center stage in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre this summer. \u003ccite>(Aurora Theatre)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/fact\">The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003cbr>\nJune 21–July 25, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Fingal is a newly minted Harvard grad who takes a job at a consequential magazine as a fact-checker. That consequence has softened, however, since the magazine is now hanging by a thread. An essay from mega-talent John D’Agata, about a teen boy’s suicide, could change the magazine’s fortunes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s one major problem — the actual facts of the story are shaky at best, placing both characters into a battle between truth and fiction. (The play’s heralded 2018 Broadway run featured actors Bobby Cannavale, Daniel Radcliffe and Cherry Jones.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s no better time to support Aurora, a gem of a small theater in Berkeley. Like many theaters post-pandemic, the company faces a major funding shortfall, and are in \u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/AuroraSpring24\">an active campaign\u003c/a> to save their artistic outlet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1665px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1665\" height=\"1143\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych.jpg 1665w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-800x549.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-1020x700.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-768x527.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Pino.diptych-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1665px) 100vw, 1665px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jonathan Rhys Williams is Lawrence Jameson and Keith Pinto is Freddy Benson in the San Jose Stage production of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.’ \u003ccite>(San Jose Stage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.thestage.org/\">Dirty Rotten Scoundrels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>San Jose Stage\u003cbr>\nJune 5–30, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on the popular 1988 film and directed by Stage Associate Artist Johnny Moreno, this French Riviera con caper follows two men who compete for the heart of a wealthy American heiress. Featuring a jazzy score from composer David Yazbek (\u003cem>The Full Monty\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Band’s Visit\u003c/em>), the Stage is digging into another example of what they do so well — the quirky summer musical. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957712\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Untitled-design-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bridgette Loriaux is Beatrice and Johnny Moreno is Benedick in ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Marin Shakespeare Company)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/\">Much Ado About Nothing\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Marin Shakespeare Company, San Rafael\u003cbr>\nJune 28–July 28, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this wild Shakespearean romp, Beatrice and Benedick engage in a war of words while the soldier Claudio falls for the fair Hero. After the requisite bickering commences, love is discovered, vows are exchanged and all is well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Popular Bay Area director and educator Domenique Lozano handles the direction, with Bridgette Loriaux playing Beatrice and Johnny Moreno tackling Benedick. And while the play’s the thing, renting some cushions and plopping them down inside the spacious seating area for a show under the North Bay stars can’t be beat. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Preshow pro tip – enjoy a Cubano sandwich at Sol Food down the street while taking in some salsa beats from the live band that plays on the sidewalk.\u003cbr>\nAnd if you’re looking for even more Shakespearean comedy under the summer stars, the return of Cal Shakes in Orinda to regular theater programming includes the 50th anniversary production of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/as-you-like-it-2024/\">As You Like It\u003c/a>\u003c/em> at Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1885\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957709\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-800x785.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-1020x1001.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-768x754.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ryan-Williams-4-1536x1508.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Williams comes to Oakland for the role of Tommy DeVito in the Woodminster Summer Musicals production ‘Jersey Boys’ in July.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ryan J. Zirngibl)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.woodminster.com/\">Jersey Boys\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Woodminster Summer Musicals, Oakland\u003cbr>\nJuly 12–21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons has had productions all over the world, with Broadway and off-Broadway productions still running while multiple national tours stop often in the Bay Area. (The production made its regional premiere via the first national tour in December of 2006 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are several reasons for the production’s popularity, namely the non-stop hit parade that is the music of Valli and songwriter Bob Gaudio, whose handshake agreement lasting decades is the stuff of legend. But the one thing that could usurp the show’s quality is the venue itself, nestled neatly within Joaquin Miller Park in the idyllic Oakland hills. When night falls, it’s one of the most picturesque views in the Bay. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1180px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/OctavioSolisAnneHamerskycropped-1180x664-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Octavio Solis’ ‘Mother Road,’an adaptation of ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ explores the story of Martín, a descendant of the Joad family. \u003ccite>(Anne Hamersky)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/mother-road/\">Mother Road\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Berkeley Repertory Theatre\u003cbr>\nJune 14–July 21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Octavio Solis, who spent decades in the Bay Area before moving to Oregon, makes one of his frequent Bay Area returns with \u003cem>Mother Road\u003c/em>. The story is a spinoff of \u003cem>The Grapes of Wrath\u003c/em>, taking the story’s iconic blue-collar hero Tom Joad and offering the new narrative of his descendant named Martín, a Mexican-American migrant worker. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terminally ill William Joad learns of Martín as an heir to the family farm, and together they return to Oklahoma, the site of the Joad family’s perilous journey that serves as the soul of the original source material. Solis’ realism and poetic sensibilities are placed in the hands of the Rep’s associate artistic director David Mendizábal, who will direct the piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1417\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/naomi_iizuka-1536x1134.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Playwright Naomi Iizuka is spending the bulk of her summer in San Francisco, with the world premiere of her play ‘Garuda’s Wing’ debuting in June, and her translation of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II’ opening in August.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Magic Theatre)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://magictheatre.org/calendar/garudas-wing\">Garuda’s Wing\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Magic Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nJune 5–July 23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright Naomi Iizuka is getting cozy inside the iconic theater space at Fort Mason for the entire summer, kicking things off with a ghost play. It’s an international investigation, and an intergenerational exploration, set across locales such as Jakarta and Borneo. A search unearths murder, while exposing the effects of revolution and colonialism. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre artistic director Margo Hall directs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To further expand on Iizuka’s time in San Francisco, her translation of the intense and timely \u003cem>Richard II\u003c/em>, directed by Santa Clara University professor Karina Gutierrez, follows in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Robert-Kelley3_DavidAllenPhoto-scaled-1-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former TheatreWorks Silicon Valley artistic director Robert Kelley returns for the world premiere of ‘Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration’ this June in Mountain View. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://theatreworks.org/mainstage/being-alive/\">Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Mountain View\u003cbr>\nJune 5–30, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Stephen Sondheim’s passing in November of 2021, the master composer and lyricist has continued his dominance over every ounce of the musical theater landscape. Now, longtime collaborators Robert Kelley, who served TheatreWorks as artistic director for 50 years, and resident musical director William Liberatore are offering up another new take on Sondheim’s wonderful life. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TheatreWorks is a perfect spot for this world premiere, considering Sondheim is the company’s most produced composer. Expect many of Sondheim’s most iconic hits to make their way onto the stage, performed by a stellar six-person cast. (And for those who need even more Sondheim, the 2022 Broadway revival of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/company/\">Company\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in which the single 35-year-old Bobbie is gender-swapped for a woman, lunches at BroadwaySF’s Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco for the month of June.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1224\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957710\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-800x510.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-768x490.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/The_Ghost_of_King_2024_8649_cropped-1536x979.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Playwright Michael Wayne Turner III will perform as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in ‘The Ghost of King’ in Oakland.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Oakland Theater Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">The Ghost of King\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project\u003cbr>\nJune 6–23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Wayne Turner III is both the creator and featured performer of this exploration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., digging into the famed civil rights leader and his tireless advocacy to ensure that the underclass are given justice and opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland Theater Project is doing what they do very well — develop, develop, develop — and Turner weaves the life and conflicts of King together with his poetry and most memorable speeches. Details and research inform this insightful deep dive into the iconic leader and orator, gunned down in 1968 a few months past his 39th birthday. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957704\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Left-to-right-Heikki-Koskinen-and-Nan-Busse-in-Happened-Change-Photo-credit-Steve-Bronson-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heikki Koskinen and Nan Busse in “Happened Change,” an entry in this year’s San Francisco Fringe Festival, running at the Exit Theatre in August.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Steve Bronson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theexit.org/\">San Francisco Fringe Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Exit Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nAug. 9–25, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 33rd installment of San Francisco Fringe is all about quirky, poignant fun that exists off the beaten path from run-of-the-mill theatrical fare. Many of the shows are of the solo variety, and Exit Theatre’s festival continues to provide voices and opportunity for theater makers to sharpen both their art and their voices. This year’s festival features a whopping 45 performances of 15 different shows. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jamie-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,’ Romelo Urbi plays the title role of Jamie, a 16-year-old high schooler in Sheffield who privately dreams of drag queen stardom. \u003ccite>(Shane Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.rayoflighttheatre.com/jamie\">Everybody’s Talking About Jamie\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ray of Light Theatre, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nJune 1–23, 2024\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>British denizens fell in love with the luminous 16-year-old gay teen Jamie, who was a fixture on London’s West End toward the end of the past decade. Sadly, Americans had to wait. Despite a critically acclaimed 2021 film version, productions of the musical in the United States have been scarce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June, Ray of Light Theatre gives the Bay an opportunity to fall head over stiletto heels for Jamie, an outcast who dreams of becoming a fabulous drag queen and finding superstar status on the biggest stages. It’s a tender story that shows what allyship and acceptance can mean to a young person looking to soar within their individuality in every aspect of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A delightful local cast steps in for this one, with Romelo Urbi taking on the title role, and the entire production is led by director Alex Kirschner. Fittingly, the show’s opening night coincides with the annual start to Pride month across the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-far-country-berkeley-rep-angel-island-review",
"title": "‘The Far Country’ Explores Memory, Family and Angel Island’s Detention Horrors",
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"headTitle": "‘The Far Country’ Explores Memory, Family and Angel Island’s Detention Horrors | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>What if walls could talk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the case of \u003ca href=\"https://www.aiisf.org/poems-and-inscriptions\">Angel Island\u003c/a>, the walls do in fact talk. Imprisoned upon arrival in the early 20th century, Chinese immigrants etched their pain into the walls as poetry that has been preserved for posterity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s harrowing production of Lloyd Suh’s Pulitzer-finalist play \u003cem>The Far Country\u003c/em> exists in a world where even the most remote and desolate land carries its own richness. The play’s magic, exposed by Jennifer Chang’s exquisite direction, is that it feels epic in scope, beautifully balanced between struggle, hope and decadent artistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954199\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feodor Chin (Gee/Three), Aaron Wilton (Harriwell/Interpreter), and Whit K. Lee (Yip/One) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The play begins on Angel Island, in the San Francisco Bay, in 1909. It’s 27 years after the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which severely limited Chinese immigration and brought horrific consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the conventional belief that Angel Island functioned similarly to Ellis Island in New York, the island was primarily a detention center, devoid of any romanticism for those yearning to breathe free. It is there where we first meet Gee (Feodor Chin) as he is interrogated by an American inspector (John Keebler), assisted by his interpreter (Aaron Wilton). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gee is charming and funny, stating that his paperwork proving American citizenship was destroyed in the infamous earthquake three years earlier. Through Chin’s commitment to each critical moment, Gee moves from professional groveler to shrewd businessman in the span of the exchange, making one wonder about his authenticity. Is he the soft soul that made the grizzled, white inspector smile, or a soulless heathen only interested in favorable transactions — or both? \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tess Lina (Low/Two) and Tommy Bo (Moon Gyet) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Having gained passage back to China, Gee makes a tempting offer to a widow, Low (Tess Lina). For a hefty fee, most of which is free labor, Gee will take Low’s son Moon Gyet (Tommy Bo) to the United States, where labor will become currency in the freedom of a new land. In multiple scenes, Lina oscillates between heartache and pragmatism, informed by each calculated thought with a regal smoothness. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a pact with the devil, to be sure, and one where admission isn’t guaranteed — even the devil might not be able to crack Angel Island inspectors’ relentless interrogation. Admission for Moon Gyet and the many other Chinese migrants trying to enter the steel doors of America is dependent on the tiniest of details: How many steps were at your house? How about the steps at your school? Are these lies? \u003cem>Don’t they all lie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suh’s use of language and translation in these scenes is exceptional, where exacting words in Angel Island’s interrogation room by both inspector and translator spoken within seconds of each other is a balancing act of delicate precision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tommy Bo (Moon Gyet) and Sharon Shao (Yuen/Four) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bo portrays Moon Gyet’s high-stakes game with steely, sharp resolve. Moon Gyet later makes his own transactional offer to Yuen (Sharon Shao): a marriage proposal that, as it turns out, dismisses her hopes of lifelong love (shaking hands after accepting the offer will do that). Shao plays tender and skittish charm beautifully, serving as an effective foil for Moon Gyet’s scheming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As director, Chang is best when creating savory tableaus, pacing each moment with what’s necessary. In her hands, not only does the drama provide tension, but offers artistry and a clean blend of humor necessary for the audience to take a breath and process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13954121']Moments within Angel Island are loaded with desperate warmth, the details filled with artistic strokes incorporating Minjoo Kim’s wonderful lighting design. It is there where the hope of a people, those whose poetry sustained them within the most soul-crushing circumstances, rises beyond the clay that covers each word. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story’s denouement offers critical lessons with humane subtlety. As one grows and ages, the totality of a life is clearest just before the memory starts to fade. No one will live forever, but a legacy can. Just listen to the walls — they will tell all. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Far Country’ runs now through April 14 at Berkeley Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-far-country/\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>What if walls could talk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the case of \u003ca href=\"https://www.aiisf.org/poems-and-inscriptions\">Angel Island\u003c/a>, the walls do in fact talk. Imprisoned upon arrival in the early 20th century, Chinese immigrants etched their pain into the walls as poetry that has been preserved for posterity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s harrowing production of Lloyd Suh’s Pulitzer-finalist play \u003cem>The Far Country\u003c/em> exists in a world where even the most remote and desolate land carries its own richness. The play’s magic, exposed by Jennifer Chang’s exquisite direction, is that it feels epic in scope, beautifully balanced between struggle, hope and decadent artistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954199\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_012-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feodor Chin (Gee/Three), Aaron Wilton (Harriwell/Interpreter), and Whit K. Lee (Yip/One) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The play begins on Angel Island, in the San Francisco Bay, in 1909. It’s 27 years after the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which severely limited Chinese immigration and brought horrific consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the conventional belief that Angel Island functioned similarly to Ellis Island in New York, the island was primarily a detention center, devoid of any romanticism for those yearning to breathe free. It is there where we first meet Gee (Feodor Chin) as he is interrogated by an American inspector (John Keebler), assisted by his interpreter (Aaron Wilton). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gee is charming and funny, stating that his paperwork proving American citizenship was destroyed in the infamous earthquake three years earlier. Through Chin’s commitment to each critical moment, Gee moves from professional groveler to shrewd businessman in the span of the exchange, making one wonder about his authenticity. Is he the soft soul that made the grizzled, white inspector smile, or a soulless heathen only interested in favorable transactions — or both? \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_058-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tess Lina (Low/Two) and Tommy Bo (Moon Gyet) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Having gained passage back to China, Gee makes a tempting offer to a widow, Low (Tess Lina). For a hefty fee, most of which is free labor, Gee will take Low’s son Moon Gyet (Tommy Bo) to the United States, where labor will become currency in the freedom of a new land. In multiple scenes, Lina oscillates between heartache and pragmatism, informed by each calculated thought with a regal smoothness. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a pact with the devil, to be sure, and one where admission isn’t guaranteed — even the devil might not be able to crack Angel Island inspectors’ relentless interrogation. Admission for Moon Gyet and the many other Chinese migrants trying to enter the steel doors of America is dependent on the tiniest of details: How many steps were at your house? How about the steps at your school? Are these lies? \u003cem>Don’t they all lie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suh’s use of language and translation in these scenes is exceptional, where exacting words in Angel Island’s interrogation room by both inspector and translator spoken within seconds of each other is a balancing act of delicate precision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/TFC_166-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tommy Bo (Moon Gyet) and Sharon Shao (Yuen/Four) in Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Far Country’ at Berkeley Rep. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bo portrays Moon Gyet’s high-stakes game with steely, sharp resolve. Moon Gyet later makes his own transactional offer to Yuen (Sharon Shao): a marriage proposal that, as it turns out, dismisses her hopes of lifelong love (shaking hands after accepting the offer will do that). Shao plays tender and skittish charm beautifully, serving as an effective foil for Moon Gyet’s scheming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As director, Chang is best when creating savory tableaus, pacing each moment with what’s necessary. In her hands, not only does the drama provide tension, but offers artistry and a clean blend of humor necessary for the audience to take a breath and process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Moments within Angel Island are loaded with desperate warmth, the details filled with artistic strokes incorporating Minjoo Kim’s wonderful lighting design. It is there where the hope of a people, those whose poetry sustained them within the most soul-crushing circumstances, rises beyond the clay that covers each word. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story’s denouement offers critical lessons with humane subtlety. As one grows and ages, the totality of a life is clearest just before the memory starts to fade. No one will live forever, but a legacy can. Just listen to the walls — they will tell all. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Far Country’ runs now through April 14 at Berkeley Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-far-country/\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-best-bay-area-theater-we-saw-in-2023",
"title": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw In 2023",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1758\" height=\"1321\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg 1758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1758px) 100vw, 1758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater in 2023 often went in woeful directions. Audiences still haven’t returned to bustling pre-pandemic levels, and too many theaters closed, unable to balance their high levels of artistry with financial solvency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, there are encouraging signs for live storytelling as the calendar marches toward 2024. Some critical Bay Area festivals returned, carrying national repercussions, and many bold theatermakers chose this year to reveal transcendent passion projects — with no shortage of local world premieres. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Bay Area theater critics and regular KQED Arts contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez reflect on the region’s significant theater news, events and premieres of 2023. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938999\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rotimi Agbabiaka, AeJay Marquis Mitchell, Aidaa Peerzada and Donald Lacy, Jr. in ‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ at Magic Theatre. \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Not Sorry to Bother You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ was a breakthrough hit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To say that Marc Anthony Thompson’s debut play \u003cem>The Ni¿¿er Lovers\u003c/em> at Magic Theatre pulled no punches would be to massively understate its gleeful fearlessness. Its focus, the story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in 1848 by dressing Ellen up as a white man traveling North, with William posing as her servant. But rather than taking a somber bio-pic approach to their heroic flight the play went for satirical gusto, casting its daring protagonists as unrepentant kinksters (impeccably performed by Aidaa Peerzada and Rotimi Agbabiaka), and presenting their story in a series of vignettes punctuated by music, monologues, comic sketches, and sharply-honed, go-for-the-jugular irreverence that felt decades in the perfecting.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Once’ at Tabard Theatre. \u003ccite>(Edmond Kwong Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tabard Sings ‘Once’ More\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Goodbye to a popular South Bay company\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tabard Theater production of \u003cem>Once\u003c/em> in March was a warm delight, but will mostly be remembered as the last production of the venerable 22-year-old downtown San José company. Tabard’s longtime home, formerly known as the Theatre on San Pedro Square, is one of the most quaint, charming spaces in the entire South Bay, with flickering candles atop cabaret tables and a plentiful bar with a rustic feel. The area is also a happening spot, with lots of trendy restaurants and plentiful parking surrounding the second story theater. Adding to the melancholia more recently, the company lost their lease on the building, leaving both the company (which moved away from theater productions and focused on live events) and the space itself up in the air. Despite all that, the company remains resolute and optimistic to find new places to program their engaging, community-centered events.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-768x484.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jes Deville, director and co-producer of ‘Forgetting Tree.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Queer Cat Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Hello/Goodbye\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Forgetting Tree’ gave grace to Queer Cat Productions’ final bow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling important values in and out of the theatre such as consent, access, and emphatically queer joyfulness, Queer Cat’s performance offerings throughout these pandemic times have been thoughtfully crafted and boldly imaginative. Thankfully they left us one last production to remember them by—the gorgeously-rendered \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em>, co-produced and directed by Jes DeVille of Openhaus Athletics. Combining the creative gifts of cellists, clowns, acrobats, dancers, permaculture designers, and the fierce love of a Living Altar (Rawiya Tariq), \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em> offered remembrance, ritual, and catharsis to those of us fortunate enough to experience it—both in the room and virtually.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938976\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Mirzayan (Goli) in ‘English’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Alessandra Mello)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘English’ Speaks All Languages\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘My accent is a war crime’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first week of May, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s wonderful, poignant West Coast premiere production of \u003cem>English\u003c/em> closed. The day after the final curtain, playwright Sanaz Toossi’s script, about a group of four Iranian adults preparing for a daunting English language exam near Tehran in order to come to other parts of the world, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production was significant for its stewarding by local director Mina Morita, the longtime artistic director of San Francisco’s Crowded Fire Theater Company. Morita is moving away from the company this month to focus more on her directing career, and will be in Australia late next year directing \u003cem>Yoga Play\u003c/em> by Dipika Guha at the National Theater of Parramatta.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1424\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938978\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-800x445.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1020x567.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1536x854.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-2048x1139.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1038x576.jpg 1038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1920x1068.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L.M. Bogad as Dr. Masc in the ‘immersive experience’ from Say Nothing and Leave, ‘Change Your Mind.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Say Nothing and Leave)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You Gotta Believe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Change Your Mind (or don’t) with ‘Say Nothing and Leave’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I may have entered the bustling Say Nothing and Leave-designed \u003cem>Change Your Mind\u003c/em> clinic a Guarded Contrarian, but I left it…a Guarded Contrarian. Ok, so some personality types are more resistant to change than others, but in this tone-perfect immersive experience, the promise of personality editing is presented with such matter-of-fact aplomb you will almost certainly find yourself wondering if it could \u003cem>really\u003c/em> be done. Whether you actually choose to change or not, the experience playfully and thoroughly raises the question of what could be gained through said deletion—and what could be irretrievably lost.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 864px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg 864w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jordan Maria Don as Clara and Monique Crawford as Annie in ‘Edit Annie’ at Crowded Fire Theater. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Collaboration is Key\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crowded Fire restructures, premieres ‘Edit Annie’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowded Fire has always been a highly unified company, with a commitment to tell stories and present opportunities for all marginalized groups. While many companies follow a structure with an artistic director at the top of the pyramid, Crowded Fire instead turned one leader into seven, cross-pollinating everyone’s institutional knowledge into all aspects of the company. The first production of this new regime was the highly regarded west coast premiere of \u003cem>Edit Annie\u003c/em> by Mary Glen Fredrick, which kicked off in October.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938977\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SeQuoiia (center) in ‘De Mangangá’ at the 2023 New Roots Theatre Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy SFBATCO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Roots Meets Old School\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFBATCO’s annual festival gave center stage to exciting collaboration\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making space for experimentation, innovation, and camaraderie, this year’s New Roots festival lineup included the breathtaking, capoeira-inspired \u003cem>De Mangangá\u003c/em> written by mother-son team Tania Santiago and SeQuoiia, \u003cem>Shidaiqu\u003c/em>, an intriguing new musical by Jord Liu, revealing the intersections of Jazz and Communism in 1920s Shanghai, and a stunning revival of Zaccho Dance Theatre’s \u003cem>Dying While Black and Brown\u003c/em>, choreographed by Johanna Haigood with music by Marcus Shelby. By focusing attention on BIPOC-centered creation at every stage of development, these New Roots festivals are nurturing some of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in the Bay Area, including SFBATCO’s own \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom, The Unheard Songs of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>, which will receive its full world premiere in 2024.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1655px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1655\" height=\"1205\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938975\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg 1655w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-800x582.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1020x743.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1536x1118.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1655px) 100vw, 1655px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ReOrient-ing at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Festival of Middle Eastern works has run since 1996\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sahar Assaf took over in 2021 from Golden Thread Productions’ artistic director and founder Torange Yeghiazarian, she knew there were massive shoes to fill. She also learned quickly that the company’s ReOrient Festival is beloved as one of the longest running theater festivals of new work in the Bay Area. With incubators disappearing nationally, such as the Lark and the Humana Play Festival, new playwrights have fewer places to develop their work. More than 100 scripts were submitted for consideration this year. Six were selected. The company has also worked to expand Middle Eastern narratives, and how those stories impact Middle Easterners who make the Bay Area and beyond their home. For the first time in the festival’s history, all of this year’s plays were set in the United States. \u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1082px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1082\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg 1082w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arielle Powell as Miriam in ‘Exodus to Eden’ at Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Big Things in the East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Oakland Theater Project’s world premiere of ‘Exodus to Eden’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Setting foot inside the Flax Art & Design building for an Oakland Theater Project show means knowing you’re in for some highly charged theater that’s not to be missed. The company has a great sense of how to present a classic text (their 2018 \u003cem>A Streetcar Named Desire\u003c/em> and the more recent \u003cem>Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf\u003c/em>, featuring associate artistic director Lisa Ramirez and co-artistic director William Hodgson, were both phenomenal), but have also dove headfirst into world premieres. This year, co-artistic director Michael Socrates Moran made his playwriting debut with \u003cem>Exodus to Eden\u003c/em>, which he also directed. The intimate Flax space provided the production some spatial limits, yet the show still featured a sizable cast of 17 performers. Whether it’s a world premiere or a tried-and-true play, Oakland Theater Project has strategically found a formula that melds the potential of people with a sky-high commitment to artistry.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg\" alt=\"a red and black and green painted building\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1208\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933234\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1020x734.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1536x1105.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The newly painted exterior of BAM House at 1540 Broadway in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Spaces for Fresh Faces\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s been an incredibly tumultuous time for small performance venues in the Bay Area, and the list of spaces we’ve lost feels like it just keeps growing. But incredibly and inspiringly, a new crop of venues and multi-use spaces have blossomed in their wake. This is just a small sampling of the marvelous specificity and neighborhoods being served by some of our newest artistic homes.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofclown.org/\">Church of Clown\u003c/a>, 2400 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclecticboxsf.com\">Eclectic Box\u003c/a>, 446 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.lowerbottomplayaz.com/\">BAM House\u003c/a>, 1540 Broadway, Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.therhino.org\">Theatre Rhinoceros\u003c/a>, 4229 18th St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.447minna.com/\">447 Minna\u003c/a>, 447 Minna St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.performingartsworkshop.org/\">Geneva Powerhouse\u003c/a>, 2301 San Jose Ave., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://sealevelsf.com\">Sealevel\u003c/a>, 4331 Irving St., San Francisco \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1758\" height=\"1321\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg 1758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1758px) 100vw, 1758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater in 2023 often went in woeful directions. Audiences still haven’t returned to bustling pre-pandemic levels, and too many theaters closed, unable to balance their high levels of artistry with financial solvency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, there are encouraging signs for live storytelling as the calendar marches toward 2024. Some critical Bay Area festivals returned, carrying national repercussions, and many bold theatermakers chose this year to reveal transcendent passion projects — with no shortage of local world premieres. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Bay Area theater critics and regular KQED Arts contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez reflect on the region’s significant theater news, events and premieres of 2023. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938999\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rotimi Agbabiaka, AeJay Marquis Mitchell, Aidaa Peerzada and Donald Lacy, Jr. in ‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ at Magic Theatre. \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Not Sorry to Bother You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ was a breakthrough hit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To say that Marc Anthony Thompson’s debut play \u003cem>The Ni¿¿er Lovers\u003c/em> at Magic Theatre pulled no punches would be to massively understate its gleeful fearlessness. Its focus, the story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in 1848 by dressing Ellen up as a white man traveling North, with William posing as her servant. But rather than taking a somber bio-pic approach to their heroic flight the play went for satirical gusto, casting its daring protagonists as unrepentant kinksters (impeccably performed by Aidaa Peerzada and Rotimi Agbabiaka), and presenting their story in a series of vignettes punctuated by music, monologues, comic sketches, and sharply-honed, go-for-the-jugular irreverence that felt decades in the perfecting.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Once’ at Tabard Theatre. \u003ccite>(Edmond Kwong Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tabard Sings ‘Once’ More\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Goodbye to a popular South Bay company\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tabard Theater production of \u003cem>Once\u003c/em> in March was a warm delight, but will mostly be remembered as the last production of the venerable 22-year-old downtown San José company. Tabard’s longtime home, formerly known as the Theatre on San Pedro Square, is one of the most quaint, charming spaces in the entire South Bay, with flickering candles atop cabaret tables and a plentiful bar with a rustic feel. The area is also a happening spot, with lots of trendy restaurants and plentiful parking surrounding the second story theater. Adding to the melancholia more recently, the company lost their lease on the building, leaving both the company (which moved away from theater productions and focused on live events) and the space itself up in the air. Despite all that, the company remains resolute and optimistic to find new places to program their engaging, community-centered events.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-768x484.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jes Deville, director and co-producer of ‘Forgetting Tree.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Queer Cat Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Hello/Goodbye\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Forgetting Tree’ gave grace to Queer Cat Productions’ final bow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling important values in and out of the theatre such as consent, access, and emphatically queer joyfulness, Queer Cat’s performance offerings throughout these pandemic times have been thoughtfully crafted and boldly imaginative. Thankfully they left us one last production to remember them by—the gorgeously-rendered \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em>, co-produced and directed by Jes DeVille of Openhaus Athletics. Combining the creative gifts of cellists, clowns, acrobats, dancers, permaculture designers, and the fierce love of a Living Altar (Rawiya Tariq), \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em> offered remembrance, ritual, and catharsis to those of us fortunate enough to experience it—both in the room and virtually.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938976\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Mirzayan (Goli) in ‘English’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Alessandra Mello)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘English’ Speaks All Languages\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘My accent is a war crime’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first week of May, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s wonderful, poignant West Coast premiere production of \u003cem>English\u003c/em> closed. The day after the final curtain, playwright Sanaz Toossi’s script, about a group of four Iranian adults preparing for a daunting English language exam near Tehran in order to come to other parts of the world, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production was significant for its stewarding by local director Mina Morita, the longtime artistic director of San Francisco’s Crowded Fire Theater Company. Morita is moving away from the company this month to focus more on her directing career, and will be in Australia late next year directing \u003cem>Yoga Play\u003c/em> by Dipika Guha at the National Theater of Parramatta.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1424\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938978\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-800x445.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1020x567.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1536x854.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-2048x1139.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1038x576.jpg 1038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1920x1068.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L.M. Bogad as Dr. Masc in the ‘immersive experience’ from Say Nothing and Leave, ‘Change Your Mind.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Say Nothing and Leave)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You Gotta Believe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Change Your Mind (or don’t) with ‘Say Nothing and Leave’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I may have entered the bustling Say Nothing and Leave-designed \u003cem>Change Your Mind\u003c/em> clinic a Guarded Contrarian, but I left it…a Guarded Contrarian. Ok, so some personality types are more resistant to change than others, but in this tone-perfect immersive experience, the promise of personality editing is presented with such matter-of-fact aplomb you will almost certainly find yourself wondering if it could \u003cem>really\u003c/em> be done. Whether you actually choose to change or not, the experience playfully and thoroughly raises the question of what could be gained through said deletion—and what could be irretrievably lost.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 864px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg 864w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jordan Maria Don as Clara and Monique Crawford as Annie in ‘Edit Annie’ at Crowded Fire Theater. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Collaboration is Key\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crowded Fire restructures, premieres ‘Edit Annie’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowded Fire has always been a highly unified company, with a commitment to tell stories and present opportunities for all marginalized groups. While many companies follow a structure with an artistic director at the top of the pyramid, Crowded Fire instead turned one leader into seven, cross-pollinating everyone’s institutional knowledge into all aspects of the company. The first production of this new regime was the highly regarded west coast premiere of \u003cem>Edit Annie\u003c/em> by Mary Glen Fredrick, which kicked off in October.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938977\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SeQuoiia (center) in ‘De Mangangá’ at the 2023 New Roots Theatre Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy SFBATCO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Roots Meets Old School\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFBATCO’s annual festival gave center stage to exciting collaboration\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making space for experimentation, innovation, and camaraderie, this year’s New Roots festival lineup included the breathtaking, capoeira-inspired \u003cem>De Mangangá\u003c/em> written by mother-son team Tania Santiago and SeQuoiia, \u003cem>Shidaiqu\u003c/em>, an intriguing new musical by Jord Liu, revealing the intersections of Jazz and Communism in 1920s Shanghai, and a stunning revival of Zaccho Dance Theatre’s \u003cem>Dying While Black and Brown\u003c/em>, choreographed by Johanna Haigood with music by Marcus Shelby. By focusing attention on BIPOC-centered creation at every stage of development, these New Roots festivals are nurturing some of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in the Bay Area, including SFBATCO’s own \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom, The Unheard Songs of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>, which will receive its full world premiere in 2024.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1655px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1655\" height=\"1205\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938975\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg 1655w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-800x582.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1020x743.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1536x1118.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1655px) 100vw, 1655px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ReOrient-ing at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Festival of Middle Eastern works has run since 1996\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sahar Assaf took over in 2021 from Golden Thread Productions’ artistic director and founder Torange Yeghiazarian, she knew there were massive shoes to fill. She also learned quickly that the company’s ReOrient Festival is beloved as one of the longest running theater festivals of new work in the Bay Area. With incubators disappearing nationally, such as the Lark and the Humana Play Festival, new playwrights have fewer places to develop their work. More than 100 scripts were submitted for consideration this year. Six were selected. The company has also worked to expand Middle Eastern narratives, and how those stories impact Middle Easterners who make the Bay Area and beyond their home. For the first time in the festival’s history, all of this year’s plays were set in the United States. \u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1082px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1082\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg 1082w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arielle Powell as Miriam in ‘Exodus to Eden’ at Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Big Things in the East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Oakland Theater Project’s world premiere of ‘Exodus to Eden’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Setting foot inside the Flax Art & Design building for an Oakland Theater Project show means knowing you’re in for some highly charged theater that’s not to be missed. The company has a great sense of how to present a classic text (their 2018 \u003cem>A Streetcar Named Desire\u003c/em> and the more recent \u003cem>Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf\u003c/em>, featuring associate artistic director Lisa Ramirez and co-artistic director William Hodgson, were both phenomenal), but have also dove headfirst into world premieres. This year, co-artistic director Michael Socrates Moran made his playwriting debut with \u003cem>Exodus to Eden\u003c/em>, which he also directed. The intimate Flax space provided the production some spatial limits, yet the show still featured a sizable cast of 17 performers. Whether it’s a world premiere or a tried-and-true play, Oakland Theater Project has strategically found a formula that melds the potential of people with a sky-high commitment to artistry.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg\" alt=\"a red and black and green painted building\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1208\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933234\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1020x734.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1536x1105.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The newly painted exterior of BAM House at 1540 Broadway in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Spaces for Fresh Faces\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s been an incredibly tumultuous time for small performance venues in the Bay Area, and the list of spaces we’ve lost feels like it just keeps growing. But incredibly and inspiringly, a new crop of venues and multi-use spaces have blossomed in their wake. This is just a small sampling of the marvelous specificity and neighborhoods being served by some of our newest artistic homes.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofclown.org/\">Church of Clown\u003c/a>, 2400 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclecticboxsf.com\">Eclectic Box\u003c/a>, 446 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.lowerbottomplayaz.com/\">BAM House\u003c/a>, 1540 Broadway, Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.therhino.org\">Theatre Rhinoceros\u003c/a>, 4229 18th St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.447minna.com/\">447 Minna\u003c/a>, 447 Minna St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.performingartsworkshop.org/\">Geneva Powerhouse\u003c/a>, 2301 San Jose Ave., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://sealevelsf.com\">Sealevel\u003c/a>, 4331 Irving St., San Francisco \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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"live-from-here-highlights": {
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"title": "Live from Here Highlights",
"info": "Chris Thile steps to the mic as the host of Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion), a live public radio variety show. Download Chris’s Song of the Week plus other highlights from the broadcast. Produced by American Public Media.",
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"meta": {
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/a-prairie-home-companion-highlights/rss/rss"
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 12
},
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
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"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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"our-body-politic": {
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"title": "Our Body Politic",
"info": "Presented by KQED, KCRW and KPCC, and created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they’re impacting those very issues.",
"airtime": "SAT 6pm-7pm, SUN 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Our-Body-Politic-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/our-body-politic",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feGFQaHMxcw",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"planet-money": {
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"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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